Porky Stewy Thing

If I told you I was going to cook a pork stew I wouldn't be offended if you thought that kind of meal was rebarbative.  Indeed, at first blush I was skeptical of the "recipe," such as it was, and whether this concoction of pork, onions, peppers and broth would be anything more than bland.

However, history has demonstrated that what we now call the Porky Stewy Thing is quite remarkable.

Here's the blueprint, although many adjustments can be made, all good:

Pork chops - I use about 1.5 lb of boneless, butterfly chops cut into half-inch cubes.
2 onions
8 Roma tomatoes
8 tomatillos
2 jalapenos
1 bell pepper ( red, green, orange or yellow - your choice )
2 tbsp tomato paste (or more if you like it)
1 Knorr stock cube, beef or chicken or vegetable
corn - fresh from two ears or frozen or canned
water as needed

Time - about two hours.

That's it.  I often throw in a chayote squash that I cook in the pot, whole, then pull out and remove the inner core, chop into cubes and return to the pot.  Perhaps an ancho pepper.  Maybe a zucchini.  A potato works.  Carrot, too.  Your choice.

I don't overload the porky stew with too many different vegetables.  Only a few works well and doesn't complicate the dish.

The surprising thing about this meal is that it doesn't require any additional spices. I don't add salt, garlic powder, chili powder or anything.  Just the stuff above and let it simmer for about 2 hours.

The broth thickens and the natural spices blend and the result is hearty and usually spicy enough. If not you can always add a dash of your favorite chili sauce to your bowl.

Serve with hot tortillas or corn bread.

The key ingredient is time!  Anything less than two hours will result in a less than satisfactory, thinly tasting gruel.  Don't skimp on the time!