Recipe: I’m Having Leftovers Tomorrow. Delicious Jerk Pork Stew!

Society is like a stew. If you don't stir it up every once in a while a layer of scum floats to the top. – Edward Abbey

All ready for work tomorrow!

So I’ve finished dinner and am still at the kitchen table. But I had to post this right away. I just finished making (and eating) Jerk Pork Stew. It was delish. This recipe is totally mine, and I offer it to you gladly. Disseminate it far and wide.

I had some pork in the ‘fridge and wanted to make something a bit hardy, since I haven’t been feeling ‘top notch” for the last few days. So stew was it. As always I went looking, but couldn’t find anything that exactly piqued my interest. I did find several unusual recipes and borrowed from them all to come up with something you won’t find anywhere else. 

That’s often risky, but in this case it paid off, in spades. I gravitated toward the Caribbean stews with their savory combinations of spices and vegetables. I may not feel completely well, but that’s no excuse for being boring…

So this is what I came up with. It made enough for 3-4 servings, one of which, pictured above, will fill our office with aroma sometime around noon tomorrow. Hope my co-workers don’t mind. If you’re making this for more than three hungry folks, double everything listed.

It may seem like a lot of ingredients, but you either already have most, or they are very easy to find.

Plantains are like large, hard green bananas. They are
more starchy than sweet. Photo: cinnachick, Flickr ccl

Jerk Pork Stew

Prep: 15 min  | Cook: 40 min

2 tbsp oil, divided

1 large plantain, peeled and sliced

1 medium onion, chopped in large pieces

4 gloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp fresh ginger, roughly chopped

1 lb pork, cut in medium sized cubes

2 cups water

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tsp thyme, dried

3/4 tsp allspice, ground

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

2 tbsp Demerara sugar (or brown)

3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 large green pepper, cut into large pieces

salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

Heat the first tablespoon of oil in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed saucepan. Sauté the plantain over medium high heat until it colours on all sides. Remove from the pot and save.

Add the second tablespoon of oil and add in the onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté over medium heat until the onions start to soften and colour. Add in the pork and cook until all signs of pink are gone.

Add in the water, soy, thyme, allspice, cayenne, sugar and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add in the potatoes and browned plantain pieces. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and allow to cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes add the green pepper and cook, covered, for a further 15 minutes.

Stir occasionally so the stew doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve.

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Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks?

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