This stew was inspired by great pork and when I say great pork I mean Berkshire (not the Factory farmed hogs we’re all use to seeing in horrid documentaries). When you have great ingredients, it’s easier to come up with great dishes. This isn’t pork that you’re going to find in your super market so try to find a local butcher they may even have something different for you to try and I recommend you do. Different types of pork have different flavours, textures and fat marbling(Here’s where I got mine). Quality of your ingredients is key for a dish this simple.

Now on to the dish. This is a super hearty comfort dish that’s perfect for the cold fall/winter months. One of the tricks to making a really good stew is to roast your vegetables separately from your braising meat, this will ensure a perfect cook and extra texture which means more layers of flavour.

The Recipe

This recipe is going to come with a few different steps but I guarantee once you try a spoon full you’ll appreciate it that much more!

Ingredients

• 620g (about 1.3 lbs) of Berkshire pork stewing meat cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes

• 1 Large onion, diced

• 1 Heaping teaspoon of all purpose flour

• 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

• 2 Sprigs of thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thyme

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• 1 tsp cracked pepper

• 300ml Chicken stock

• 3 Tbsp olive oil for cooking

• 1 tall can of Innis & Gunn Lager

• 1 Large carrot cut into 1 inch chunks

• 6 to 10 fingerling potatoes cut in halves

• 1 to 2 pinches of Kosher salt (to taste at end)

• Parmesan or aged cheddar cheese for garnish

• Micro pea shoots or parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 F

2. Bring an oven safe, large skillet or braiser to a medium high heat then add about half the olive oil.

3. On a large plate, mix together pork, flour, salt, pepper, thyme then place into the hot pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you may have to cook the pork in two batches.

4. Cook the pork, turning over the pieces to brown each side. Be careful - if the pan starts to burn, turn down the heat.

5. Once pork is browned take it out of the skillet then add the onions with a pinch of salt. The juices that come out of the onions should help you deglaze the bottom of the pan. Cook the unions until they soften then add garlic, stirring frequently.

6. Once the onions start to brown, add the pork back into the pan, then add the Lager and bring to a soft boil. Add chicken stock once again returning to a boil.

7. Take the pan off of the heat and place in the preheated oven. Cook for four hours with the lid off for the first half of cooking.

8. When there is 30 minutes left until the end of cooking, add the carrots and potatoes onto a baking tray with the remaining oil and a pinch of salt then place in the oven.

9. Once the stew has been cooking for the four hour period, remove the stew, leaving the tray of veggies in the oven and increase the oven temperature to 450 F. By the time the oven is preheated, check to see if your veggies are tender and browned. If so, remove from oven and place in to your stew.

10. Garnish each dish with pea shoot and cheese. Serve up and enjoy!

Bonus Tip!!!

• Although this recipe calls for the veggies to be cooked separately. Feel free to add the veggies in with the chicken stock for less hassle; the results will still taste delicious.

• Add double to amount of flour to make a thicker stew - Perfect for the centre of a flakey pie crust.

• If you’re having trouble finding the beer I used, don’t worry. Feel comfortable replacing it with one of your favourite lagers with a mild flavour profile.