Pork Stew

Stews are nice, conveniet, low-hassle comfort foods. It's nice to pop everything into a cooker, leave it for a few hours and have a perfectly cooked meal.

I find that I like using meats attatched to the bone for my stews because the marrow in the bones releases such nice flavor. Pork neck bones are great for stews, they are inexpensive and some of the most tender pork meat is located around the bone. Ribs are also great for this or oxtail. I like to cook it until the meat is falling off the bone. I then take out the bones, add some veggies and then serve.

Pork Stew with Shell Pasta

Ingredients:
1 pack pork neck bones
2 or 3 cups of water
A few pieces of garlic, diced (3 or 4, but if you want more, that's cool too!)
1 onion, cut into halves. Put one half aside for laters
Salt to taste... though since it's raw meat, do not taste it at the moment. It's better to under-salt than over-salt
Small spoonful of sugar
Spoonful of red pepper flakes if you like some spice
1 cabbage (regular or nappa... i like both, so whichever is on hand is fine)
4 or 5 potatoes

1. Okay, so rise the pork bones first to get rid of grainy bone-ness from when the bones were cut. Once rinsed, put into pot/crockpot/rice cooker and add water. I use a rice cooker; it's like a fast slow cooker... which sounds werid, but it gets the stew perfect every time

2. Crush the garlic with the flat side of a knife. This makes for easier peeling. Coarsely chop the cloves and add to the pork.

3. Cut the onion in half. Set aside one half for later. With the half you are using now, chop off the top and bottom tips to make for easier peeling. Coarsely chop these as well.

This half of the onion is mostly for flavor, by the time the stew is done these onion parts will be so soft they'll integrate into the liquid. Add to pork.
4. Add the salt, sugar and red pepper flakes.

5. If using a pot, put a lid on it and set it to low, stirring occasionally. If using a crock pot set it on high if you're eating it that day. If you're preparing this the night before, chose medium or low. If using a rice cooker, set to cook. Let stew cook until meat falls off the bone.

6. Once the meat is falling off the bone, remove the bones from the stew. you may also want to remove teh fat from the top of the stew as well.
7. Chop up the cabbage into desired sized pieces. Add to stew.
8. Chop the potatoes and other onion half into desired sized pieces as well and toss them in too.
9. Wait till the veggies have cooked and boil some water for 1 box of shell pasta.
10. When pasta is done, drain.
11. Serve stew with the pasta.
12. Eat and enjoy with friends!