Brrrr… it’s cold, outside. It’s that biting cold that seems to go right through ya. And there’s rumor of a bit of snow on the way, too. Nothing major – 2″-3″ – but I’m sure it’s enough to send the crazies out for milk, bread, and eggs. I am sooooo glad I don’t have to deal with that, anymore!
There’s something about snow that really does send some people right over the top, around here. The panic buying has just never made sense to me. People shop like they’re going to be stranded for weeks. In the 18 years we have lived back here, I can count on one hand the amount of times we’ve been stuck in the house for 24 hours. Even the years I lived at Lake Tahoe – where it really snows – I never saw the panic buying I’ve see here. Add the Philadelphia Eagles Playoff Game tomorrow into the equation, and I’m really glad I’m retired!
It boggles the mind…
So… cold outside means warm inside. Warm inside means a nice stew. My original thought was to make a posole, but I saw a recipe for a Peruvian pork and apple stew that really sounded interesting. Interesting won.
The recipe I saw came from Mark Bitman at the NY Times. As is typical, I used it as a starting off point, but didn’t actually make his recipe. If you subscribe to the NY Times Cooking, here’s his recipe: Pork Stew with Chiles, Lime, and Apples.
Pork and Apple Stew
- 1 1/2 pounds pork stew meat cut into 2″ chunks
- 2 apples, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
- pinch cloves
- 1 very hot pepper, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can diced green chiles
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1/4 cup key lime juice
- salt & pepper, to taste
Brown pork in an oven-proof pan. Add onions and garlic and cook until translucent. Add chili powder, cloves, and minced pepper and cook a moment to get rid of the raw flavor.
Add the canned chiles, broth, and lime juice. Bring to a boil.
Stir in apples.
Cover, remove from heat, and place in a 275°F oven for about 3 hours.
Serve with rice.
This really did come out good. I used a really hot chili pepper and it was perfectly balanced with the apple and the lime. the pork was fall-apart tender, and the apples just sorta melted into everything.
The rice was out of a box – Goya Rice and Black Beans. Sometimes ya want something easy, ya know?!?
There’s leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch if we want – it would be good wrapped in a tortilla while watching the snow fall.
Stay warm. We are.