White Wine Braised Pork with Apple & Root Vegetables

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Keyword: apple, pork, root vegetables, stew, white wine

Prep Time: 15

Braising Time: 2 40

Total Time: 2 55

Servings: servings

Calories: 605kcal

A one-pot meal with pork shoulder slow-braised to ultimate tenderness in a rich tomato sauce balanced with crisp white wine and flavour-infused chunks of potatoes, apple, mushrooms, carrots, and sweet green peas. A hearty meal to comfort you through the cold days!

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Ingredients

For the pork

2½ pounds boneless pork shoulder cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

For the stew

16 mini red potatoes rinsed & cut in half
2 large carrots peeled & cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 large cooking onion (yellow or white) peeled & cut into wedges
3 teaspoons garlic (4 cloves) peeled & minced or pressed
1 cup Pinot Grigio white wine substitute with chicken broth or water
1 cup dried mushrooms (soaked in water for 1 hour) or 2 cups sliced fresh cremini or white mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 3 teaspoons fresh, roughly chopped thyme
¾ cup tomato paste (1 small can)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 large apple (Honeycrisp or Golden Delicious) peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 cup frozen sweet green peas

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) and ensure the oven rack is set to the middle.

To cook the pork

Season pork cubes with salt and ground black pepper. Heat a large dutch oven on medium-high heat with 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil and sear pork cubes in a single layer for 30 seconds per side until lightly browned. Do this in batches if needed. Remove and set aside on a plate.

To cook the stew

Keep the heat on medium-high. If needed, add another tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add red potatoes, carrots, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine, then add sliced onions and minced garlic. Cook everything for 2 minutes, then pour in white wine and use your spatula to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot while you combine the vegetables with the wine. Continue to cook the vegetables for 5 minutes for most of the alcohol to cook off.
Add sliced mushrooms, thyme, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine and then reduce the heat to medium.
Add the pork back into the pot along with the cubed apples and bay leaf. Slowly pour in chicken broth and water, then combine everything with a spatula.
Cover the pot with the lid and place it in the oven on the middle oven rack. Set your timer for 2½ hours.
With oven mitts, carefully move your pot on top of your stove and add the frozen peas. Stir lightly and place the lid back on the pot. Then place the pot back into the oven and braise the stew for another 10 minutes. The pork should be fork-tender at this point.

To serve

Garnish with fresh chopped or dehydrated parsley. Enjoy stew on its own or serve with bread, rice or noodles of your choice.

Video

Notes

What cut of pork is suitable for braising in a stew?

I used pork shoulder (aka. pork butt or pork roast) because it is a fattier cut that adds a lot of flavour and is suitable for braising for a long time. You can use boneless pork chops or pork tenderloin but reduce the braising time by an hour or more depending on the amount of meat you use. Tenderloin and chops tend to be leaner cuts and become tender faster than fattier cuts.

What type of white wine should I use to braise pork?

A dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio is what I used for this stew. An excellent alternative is a white Pinot Noir or a Sauvignon Blanc. If you want to add wine flavour without the alcohol, you can use dealcoholized white wine. Some liquor stores carry several non-alcoholic wines that you can buy. Alternatively, you can substitute white wine with additional chicken stock.

Can I use a roasting pan instead of a dutch oven?

Dutch ovens are multi-purpose for roasting, braising, slow cooking and more. These heavy pots are made from enamelled cast iron (or ceramic) and are especially great for braising since they can retain liquids for a long period of time. Although an essential part of the kitchen, the downside is that it is expensive cookware.
I do not recommend a roasting pan. It’s more shallow than the dutch oven making it a not-so-ideal tool for braising meat. This type of pan is meant only for roasting, and liquids within will evaporate faster. So what’s a cheaper substitute? You can use an oven-safe stockpot instead. I used this 7-quart dutch oven, but you can use a 5-quart or even a 4-quart stockpot as an alternate pot.

Nutrition