Creole-Style Pork Stew

Warm up a cold winter's day with this hearty stew developed by Chef Bruce Aidells, author of Bruce Aidells’s Complete Book of Pork. If you cannot find andouille smoked sausage in your neighborhood, any smoked sausage such as kielbasa can be substituted.

Recipe Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped onions (about 1 large onion)
1 cup chopped celery
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
4 links andouille smoked sausage, chopped (about 1 pound, 2 cups)
2 tablespoons minced or chopped garlic (about 4 large cloves)
4 cups chicken stock or 1 carton (32 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne), depending on personal taste
2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Hot pepper sauce or white vinegar
4 cups cooked long-grain white rice

Cooking Directions:

1. Make a roux by heating oil in a large, heavy pot over low heat. Stir in flour; cook and stir over low heat until mixture turns a rich red-brown color (about 20 to 25 minutes).
2. Remove from heat; carefully stir in onion, celery, bell pepper and about 1 cup chopped sausage. Return pot to heat; cook and stir 5 minutes over medium heat.
3. Stir in garlic, chicken stock or broth and tomato paste. Add Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, sage, oregano and cayenne pepper; bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Add pork pieces and reduce heat to simmer; cook uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours or until pork is tender.
5. Stir in remaining chopped sausage; cook 5 minutes more to heat through. (At this stage, if you do not want to serve right away, stew may be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
6. Discard bay leaves and skim any visible fat, if desired. Add salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce to taste. To serve, spoon 1/2 cup rice into shallow soup bowls; ladle some of pork mixture over top. Add more hot pepper sauce, if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

Variation: Add 1 pound okra cut into 1/2-inch pieces during the last 20 minutes of cooking time.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/8 of recipe): Calories 692 calories Protein 38 grams Fat 42 grams Sodium 1234 milligrams Cholesterol 104 milligrams Saturated Fat 13 grams Carbohydrates 38 grams Fiber 2 grams.

Recipe developed by Chef Bruce Aidells, author of Bruce Aidells’s Complete Book of Pork.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of National Pork Board.