Spicy Pork Stew

I will spare you the twaddle tonight.  It is quite late in the evening, my eyelids are getting heavy and all I want is my bed.  Sleep has been elusive these last few days but I may finally have a chance at a good night’s rest tonight. It has been a busy last couple of weeks and I will need the energy for tomorrow will be a long day.  Fingers crossed.

I won’t leave you hungry, though.  I made this simple pork stew a few days ago to answer a craving for a tomato-based dish that I could eat with rice.  My inspiration was the Philippine version of menudo–everyday fare that is nothing more than pork, soy sauce, tomato sauce, peas and carrots.  Of course, I couldn’t leave well enough alone so even though this was my first attempt at menudo, I had to add a few other ingredients to make me happy.

That night, paprika and cayenne pepper sounded like good additions to me–not only to give the stew more depth but also a bit of a kick.  In the end, this pork stew turned out a cross between Filipino menudo and Hungarian stew and I was very happy with it.  And the best part?  The stove did all the work.

Spicy Pork Stew

• 2 1/2 pounds boneless pork, cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons paprika (you can use regular or Hot Hungarian paprika)
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1/2 – 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 bell pepper, cut in bite-size pieces (I used half red and half green)
• 2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt, to taste

1. In a large pot, sauté the onions in olive oil over medium high heat.  After about two minutes, add the pork pieces and cook until the meat is slightly brown on the outside, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the paprika and cayenne pepper and cook for another minute or two.
3. Add the soy sauce, tomato sauce and bay leaf then cover and simmer.
4. After 15 minutes, add the carrots and simmer for another 3o minutes.  At this point, taste the stew for seasonings.  You can add a pinch or two of salt or another dash of soy sauce if you feel it needs it.
5. After another 15 minutes add the bell peppers, cover and simmer again.
6. After another 5 – 10 minutes add the frozen peas. They will need only 5 minutes to defrost and heat up in the stew. (Total cooking time is about one hour)
7. Serve the stew with rice or potatoes.

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