Apple Cider Pork Stew Recipes

Cider Pork Ingredients:

1 pound pork, lean, roast, raw, top loin
1½ medium carrot, cut into ½ inch long pieces
1½ medium potato, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 medium onion, sliced
¼ cup fresh celery, chopped
½ medium apple, seeded and chopped coarsely
1½ tablespoon tapioca, quick cooking or other white flour
1 cup apple juice or apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon caraway seeds
1/8 teaspoon thyme, dried
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste
½ medium celery stalks, only leaves (optional)

Method:

1. Cut pork into 1 inch small cubes. Trim all the visible fat from the pork.
2. Combine quick cooking tapioca with pepper, thyme and salt. Toss with the lean meat.
3. In a medium size slow cooker combine this pork along with carrots, potatoes, onions, celery and apple. Stir in apple juice or apple cider vinegar and caraway seeds.
4. Cover the cooker and cook on low flame for about 10 to 11 hours. If you set the slow cooker on medium to high flame then you may need to cook for about 5 to 6 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent the meat and spices sticking at the bottom of the pan. If needed add 1/8 cup water to prevent burning at the bottom.
5. When the meat is cooked through you may taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve hot. If desired you may garnish each individual serving with a spring of celery. This recipe serves

Health tip:

• Choose only lean cuts of pork and trim all the visible fat before cooking. Red pork has high saturated fat and cholesterol content, which can be minimized by trimming the fat and choosing lean cuts of meat. Excess consumption of cholesterol and saturated fats in the diets has been linked to many life threatening conditions like obesity, diabetes, high blood cholesterol levels, heart diseases and stroke.
• You may substitute pork with any other lean meat of your choice. But make sure to choose only lean cuts and trim off the excess fat before cooking.
• This recipe provides about 330 calories and 11 gm fat per serving. It can be considered a high protein recipe as it provides about 29 gm protein per serving.
• The apple juice or apple cider vinegar and chopped apples will give a sweet touch to this stew. If you do not prefer a sweet taste with the meat then you may decrease the sweetness by replacing apple juice or apple cider vinegar with unsweetened white vinegar.