Normandy-Style Pork Stew

Normandy-style pork stew features meltingly tender chunks of pork, plenty of veggies, and a creamy, satisfying sauce that requires just a little bit of dairy.

Who says beef should get all the glory when it comes to stew? I recently ran across a recipe on a British food blog that inspired this dish. Its subtle taste comes from apple cider, which frankly I’d never thought of pairing with pork. But certain Eastern European dishes pair slices or chunks of apples with pork. I knew that combination worked very well.

I call it ‘Normandy-style’ because a number of recipes from that region feature calvados, a type of apple brandy. While calvados is hard to find in my area (and fairly pricey if you do find it), nonalcoholic apple cider is commonly available in grocery stores.

And the sauce – OMG, that SAUCE – also features just a touch of dried thyme and a little bit of sour cream to round out the flavors.

What Goes into Normandy-Style Pork Stew?

Like most stews, this one has a number of ingredients in starring roles, with a number of other supporting elements that build flavor upon flavor. Let’s start with the major players:

• Pork: Because of the relatively long cooking time, you need a relatively well-marbled cut of pork for this dish. I use pork shoulder (a.k.a. Boston butt or pork picnic roast), which comes from the front limb of the animal. I’ve given my method of breaking down a pork shoulder in a previous post. Or, you can use country-style pork ribs if you prefer. For either cut of pork, you’ll want to remove as much visible fat as possible. Otherwise, the stew will be rather greasy, which most folks find objectionable.
• Potatoes: I like to use a waxy type of potato in this dish, though I do sneak in a “hack” using a plain ole russet potato for the sauce (see below). I’ve used red potatoes in this example, but Yukon gold or any other waxy potato would work just fine.
• Carrots: Well, because STEW! They add both color and nutrition as well as a little sweetness and texture.
• Mushrooms and pearl onions: To me, they round out the dish, though you’re welcome to omit either or both of them if you prefer.

The Sauce

The sauce for this stew is built layer by layer. Read on below for my “cheat” for a creamy sauce that doesn’t rely very much on heavy cream or similar products.

• Bacon is used multiple ways: to add porky, smoky flavor within the sauce; as a garnish; and the bacon fat is used to sauté other components
• One large russet potato is sliced thin and simmers along with the pork and aromatics. It will break down completely during the cooking, adding heft and creaminess.
• Onion, celery, thyme, and salt add their respective flavors during the long simmer.
• At the end of cooking, cornstarch slightly thickens the sauce, and a small amount of sour cream adds its tangy flavor.

Making Normandy-style Pork Stew

Start by chopping the bacon, and fry it over medium heat until lightly browned and crispy. While the bacon is cooking, cut the pork into about one-inch cubes and dry it well with paper towels.

Remove the bacon to a paper towel to drain, and reserve the bacon drippings. Add about a tablespoon of the drippings back to the skillet, increase heat to medium-high and brown the pork cubes in batches, about 5 minutes per side. (Don’t crowd the pan or the pork will simmer rather than brown.) Chop the onion and slice the celery while you wait for the pork to brown. Add another tablespoon of bacon drippings for each batch of pork.

As the pork finishes browning, add it to a large stockpot. When all the pork is browned, sauté the onion and celery in another tablespoon of bacon drippings for four or five minutes until the onion starts to look translucent. While they’re cooking peel and slice the russet potato.

Add the onion and celery, thyme, salt, sliced russet potato, chicken broth, and apple cider to the stockpot, Cover and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer, and cook for 90 minutes.

Finishing the Stew

Toward the end of the cooking time, prepare the waxy potatoes and carrots, and clean and slice the mushrooms. Add the to the stockpot along with the pearl onions and adjust heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer the stew for another 30 minutes, or until the pork, carrots and waxy potato are tender.

Mix the cornstarch with cold water, and add the mixture to the stockpot, stirring to combine. Cook for one minute until it thickens. Off heat, stir in the sour cream until thoroughly blended.

Print