Southwest pork stew

I’ve come to love various types of diced tomatoes that are mixed with additional seasonings, like chilies or chipotle peppers. The harmonious pairing gives additional flavor to finished dishes, including soups, stews and casseroles. I developed this recipe to use diced tomatoes with chilies, along with budget saving items like root vegetables and pork chops. Pork is a natural in the slow cooker; it stays moist and becomes tender from the long, slow cooking.

I added some prepared barbecue sauce because my husband loves it. It yields additional smoky sweetness to the dish. And combined with red wine, the dish has a tremendous depth of flavor with very little work.

Southwest pork stew

4-5 country style pork ribs (1.5 pounds)
5 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut in 1-inch pieces
4-5 carrots, scraped and cut in 1-inch pieces
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with chilies
½ cup red wine
½ cup prepared barbecue sauce (your favorite)
½ cup salsa
14 ounce can corn, drained
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons oil
½ teaspoon oregano (dried)
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Place the cut vegetables in a 6 quart slow cooker that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray.

Season the chops with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet and then brown the chops on all sides.

Place the browned chops on top of the potatoes and carrots and then pour over the diced tomatoes with chilies.

Remove any excess oil from the skillet, retaining about 1 teaspoon. To the skillet add ½ cup wine and ½ cup barbecue sauce.

Blend over low heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the sauce over the chops and vegetables, then sprinkle the oregano and crushed red pepper on top.

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Remove the pork from the crock and let cool slightly.

Remove the meat from the bones, returning the shredded meat to the crock.

About a half hour before serving, I stirred in the salsa and corn. I love the fresher taste by adding them at the end.

My stew seemed a bit too soupy, so I blended 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with a cup of water (to make a slurry), then mixed it into the stew. It tightened up the recipe and gave it a shiny finish. This recipe was fantastic – a definite favorite of my husband’s. It made nearly 6 quarts of stew (and all was eaten within two days!)