Stove Top Pork Stew

Assemble the ingredients (and this list is not magic, additions and substitutions are always welcome)  If you don't favor Jalapeño Peppers (other than being removed from my Holiday Card list!) that's okay, skip them.  Perhaps you'd like to add Turnips?  or Green Beans?  A vegetable I sometimes include is Peas, but if you do you don't add them until the very end, just before serving and after all of the actual cooking is done.  Make this your own Pork Stew. 

Same goes for the spices.  Other good flavors include: Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme (the meat classics) and certainly Garlic can give it the sweet umami that garlic brings to everything it flavors.  Perhaps your love is Cumin? or even a little Nutmeg or Cinnamon.  If it works for you, it works for me!

 Prepare the vegetables:

Potatoes (girdle)

Carrots (generously slice)

Celery (same as carrots)

Jalapeño Peppers (dice)

Onions (cut in half  --

then from stem to stern)

Mushrooms (wash and

then halve them in turn)

The cut of meat is my favorite pork cut: "Country Style Ribs, Pork Loin Boneless).  Take them and cut again into generous stew sized cubes.

Add some flour along with salt and black pepper to a mixing bowl and whisk the dry ingredients together.

As you cut the pork, toss it into the bowl.

Then mix the meat well with the flour until it is well coated.

Heat some olive oil in a large cooking skillet, I have this wok like skillet that is just perfect for meals like this.  And then add the meat a little at a time, turning it after about minute per side.  Then moving the piece to the edge to make room for the rest.

Continue this until all the meat is added and then work the pieces in and out of the center until they start to brown.  Next add the veggies in turns.

I don't know why I do it in this order, I just do.  I don't suppose it really matters!  But I always begin with the Onions and Celery.  It might be a aroma thing as this is when the kitchen will begin to smell like "love". 

As I folded them into the meat, I noticed that the mixture was a bit dry.  So I grabbed the vermouth and dowsed the contents generously before continuing.  As the veggies themselves cook, there were be lots of juices created.

Next, add the Carrots and Jalapeño Peppers and fold them into the whole, too.

Again, fold them in.

Then add the Mushrooms.  I used 8 oz. each of Button and Baby Portobello.  The mushrooms will be responsible for the majority of juices created by the veggies/and fungi.

Here I had another thought and went out to my deck in search of some fresh Sage. 

Selected a couple of nice sprigs I returned to the kitchen and cut them up.

Then I added the potatoes with the fresh sage, a pinch of salt and some more freshly ground black pepper.

 Finally, I reduced the heat from 7.5 to 2.8 and covered.  This was at 2:45 PM.  I will return in about 20 minutes and fold over the ingredients and check the moisture level, and then after that at about 15 minute intervals repeat the process until around 4:15 PM when I think it will be ready to eat.

I served it over egg noodles.