Pork and Potato Stew

4.67 from 3 votes

Make this hearty and comforting pork and potato stew with peppers and lots of paprika powder; it's an easy dish perfect for cold days.

Prep Time40

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 50

Course: Stews

Cuisine: Hungarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 560kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

1 Thick-bottomed, wide stewing pot or a deep pan

Ingredients

1 lb pork 500g, Note 1
1½ tablespoons lard Note 2
1 lb onions 500 g, about 5 medium onions
7 oz carrots 200 g, about 3 medium carrots
3-4 bay leaves
1 ½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder
½ teaspoon hot paprika powder but not smoked
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano Note 3
1 cup stock 250 ml, Note 4
1 cup hot water 250 ml
1 lb waxy potatoes 500 g
2 red bell peppers
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Cut the pork meat into small cubes, about 0.5 inches/ 1.5 cm. Pat them dry with kitchen paper. Heat about ⅓ of the lard or oil in the pot.
1 lb pork/ 450 g + ⅓ from 1½ tablespoons lard
Brown the meat in batches until browned all over. This should take about 7-8 minutes per batch. Do not overcrowd the pan; add more of the fat between the batches. Save a small amount of fat for the onions as well or add more if necessary.
Cook onions and carrots: Remove the meat from the pan and add the remaining lard or oil, the onions, and the carrots. Scrape the bottom of the pan while you stir the onions and cook the onions until nicely colored and softer, about 5-6 minutes.
1 lb onions/ 450 g + 7 oz carrots/ 200 g
Add the bay leaves, both paprika powder sorts, and dried herbs. Stir well for about one minute. Return the pork cubes to the pot. Add the stock and the hot water. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, turn the heat down, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
3-4 bay leaves + 1 ½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder + ½ teaspoon hot paprika powder + ½ teaspoon dried rosemary + 1 teaspoon dried oregano + 1 cup stock/ 250 ml + 1 cup hot water/ 250 ml
Simmer stew: In the meantime, peel and cut the potatoes into larger chunks. Cut the peppers into slices. Add both to the pot, cover, leaving a small crack open, and continue simmering the pork stew for about 45-50 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the meat is very tender. Don't forget to stir from time to time and add a small amount of water if the pork stew seems to get too dry.
1 lb waxy potatoes/ 450 g + 2 red bell peppers
Check meat: If the meat is not tender enough, prolong the cooking time, checking every five minutes or so until the meat is very tender.
Adjust the taste with freshly ground black pepper and add some salt as well if necessary. If the stock was salty enough, you might not need to add extra salt. Serve immediately or reheat.
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Notes

Pork cubes cut from the flank or the entire leg/ham of the pork.
Lard: You can replace lard with vegetable oil.
Herbs: Dried summer savory or thyme can be used instead, about 1 teaspoon of it.
Stock: I use homemade chicken stock most of the time, but beef stock, bone broth, or vegetable broth can be used instead. If you don't make stock, use your favorite stock brand to make the stew.

Nutrition