Quick and easy is what this stew is all about. It does not require a four-hour simmer, so it’s perfect for a last minute craving. With preparation time, it took me about 50 minutes to get this on the table. The best part is that it is absolutely delicious.
Using pork tenderloin is ideal for this meal since it’s already tender and doesn’t require hours of braising time to make it that way. Since the base of the stew uses apple cider, there is a slight sweetness to it. When served over the apple-potato mash, it becomes this over-the-top meal.
Don’t leave out the Granny Smith garnish as it really adds a nice touch to the dish.
With rain today in the Pacific Northwest, this meal is the perfect accompaniment to cold weather.
Pork & Mushroom Stew Served Over Apple-Potato Mash
Adapted from Cuisine at Home
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1-1/2 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into 2″ pieces, dried with paper towels, seasoned with salt and black pepper
8 ounce cremini mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup sliced leeks or shallots
1/2 cup diced carrot (1 carrot)
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
3/4 cup apple cider or juice
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tablespoon water (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
Diced Granny Smith apple
Fresh thyme sprigs
Heat oil and butter in a saute pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork and saute until brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove pork to a plate; set aside.
Sweat mushrooms, leeks and carrot in same pan over medium heat until softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute.
Deglaze the pan with sherry, scraping up any bits on bottom of pan, and reduce until evaporated. Stir in cider and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add pork with residual juices and 1 Tablespoon thyme. Simmer stew until thickened, 5 minutes. After 5 minutes I still wanted a tad more thickness so I slowly added 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tablespoon water to the stew. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve stew over Apple-Potato Mash (recipe below). Garnish each serving with diced apple and a sprig of thyme.
Apple-Potato Mash
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup half and half
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and white pepper to taste
Boil potatoes and apple in a pot of salted water until tender, about 15 minutes; drain. Return potatoes to pot over medium heat to dry, 1 minute. Remove pot from heat; add half and half and butter. Mash mixture with a potato masher, then season with salt and white pepper.
Cathy owns a vineyard and winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. She is a food writer for Davis Life Magazine and blogs daily about wine, food and everyday living. She lives with her husband and two sons. You can visit her at noblepig.com.