Bowl of Polish Pork and Vegetable Stew
(click to enlarge)

Pork with Vegetables


Poland   -   wieprzowina z warzywami
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 3-3/4 #
**
2-3/4 hrs
Yes		 A simple but quite satisfying cottage stew from older times. In winter, pork, a few root vegetables, and cabbage would be about all most Polish households would have. See also see Comments.

1-1/2
8
7
2
2
1-1/2
1
1/2
#
oz
oz
#
T
c
t
t
Pork, lean (1)
Onions
Carrots
Potatoes (2)
Lard / Oil
Broth (3)
Salt
Pepper
Prep   -   (25 min)
  1. Slice PORK about 1/2 inch thick and cut into about 1-1/2 inch chunks.
  2. Quarter ONIONS lengthwise and slice thin crosswise.
  3. Peel CARROTS and cut into 1-1/2 to 3/4 inch chunks depending on diameter.
  4. Peel POTATOES. Quarter lengthwise and cut into about 1 inch chunks. Hold in cold water until needed.
  5. Chop PARSLEY for garnish.
Run   -   (1-1/4 hr)
  1. In a coverable sauté pan (3-1/2 qt) or similar, heat Lard / Oil and fry Pork Cubes, tumbling until raw color and all exuded liquid are gone. A touch of browning won't hurt.
  2. Add Onions to the pan and fry stirring until translucent. Again, a touch of browning won't hurt.
  3. Stir in Carrots and Potatoes, then Broth, Salt and Pepper. Simmer tightly covered, tumbling a couple of times, until Pork is tender (30 to 45 min). Adjust liquid if needed - don't let it get too dry.
  4. Serve hot, Garnished with parsley. A salad on the side should be sufficient.
NOTES:

  1. Pork:

      Just about any cut will work, since cooking time won't be much different. Loin pork chops were specified by the pattern recipe. Loin and Tenderloin have the least flavor but can be cut more formally. I used shoulder. For details see our Cuts of Pig page.

  2. Potatoes:

      White Rose or similar work well in recipes of this sort. Avoid Klondike Gold type potatoes which would disintegrate into mush long before the recipe is done. For details see our Potatoes page.

  3. Broth:

      The pattern recipe calls for "strong bouillon". I used all the offcuts (including fat) from the Pork to make a strong broth, strained it, and defatted it with a gravy separator.

  4. Comments:

      Most recent Polish cookbooks size their recipes to serve 5 to 6 people, and that's about the size of this recipe - but, older cookbooks may scale higher. I had to cut this recipe in half to get it down to just 6 people. As with so many Polish recipes, this one was originally composed to make a fine entrance to a "family style" table (European service). It was assembled in layers, using whole "cutlets" (pork chops) with all but 1 inch of bone removed. I have kept the ingredients the same, but simplified how they are arranged, because I never serve "family style", always buffet style or Russian service (restaurant style).
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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