French Stew by the Careless Cook

Is this stew really French?  Well, kinda.  I started with what is a French stew, Navarin d’agneau, stewed lamb. But for various reasons, lamb doesn’t suit my tastebuds, so I used pork.  Yes, even the Careless Cook has some peculiarities, even if they are so few you’d barely notice. 

 

But, as my three faithful readers already know and expect, the Careless Cook views a recipe as just a mild suggestion. And besides, in this case I’d guess every French wifey and grandmother (femme et grand-mére) has a cherished recipe, handed down from the last time France won a war.  

 

But in between defeats, one would have to say, they have done well with memorable cuisine.  Which takes me back to the first time I had Fruit de Mer and a snail had the misfortune to try to crawl off my plate. Ever heard a snail scream? Then there’s my stories about the combination of French wine and French women, but I know you’d rather get on to the magnificent recipe.  Me too. Let bygones be bygones.

 

French Stew by the Careless Cook

 

Ingredients

 

2.2 lbs, or so, pork shoulder, fat trimmed, cut in 2-inch cubes
1 tsp salt

2 tbsps sugar
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Herbs if you want. I did not use any.
3 carrots peeled and sliced on a diagonal
1 large onion, peeled and sliced in chunks
3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 and a half cups red wine
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock. I used vegetable stock.
About 12 - 20 small new potatoes. I used a small bag full.
3 medium golden beets, peeled and cut into fairly large chunks
Jar of pearl onions, drained
2 tbsp butter
A good slosh of olive oil

 

Set the oven to 350 deg.

 

Puttin’ it Together

 

Put olive oil in a Dutch oven (or any large pot with a top) and toss in the chunks of meat. Turn up the heat. Stir until the meat is deeply browned.

 

Toss in the chunks of onions and garlic. Stir until onions are translucent. 

 

Add the salt.

 

Pour in the stock and stir a bit.

 

Add the sugar, potatoes, carrots, beets, and butter.

 

As the potatoes, add the red wine and the pearl onions. 

 

Bring to a boil, cover the Dutch oven and plop it in the oven. Set your timer for an hour and a half.

 

I served the stew with a baguette and a bottle of red wine! No French women were available. Had to settle for the wine.

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