This Ale Braised Pork Stew with Vegetables and Apples is the perfect dish to warm you up this fall. Tender pork, earthy brown ale, hearty vegetables and sweet apples make this stew a family favorite.
I never thought I’d say this, but here goes…Thank God it’s Monday!!
It was a weekend full of rain, rain and more rain. So when good old Hurricane Schwartz from our local news predicted a glimmer of hope for some Monday sunshine, I said bye bye gloomy weekend weather and nice to see ya again Monday morning sun! Now, we all know there’s always a slight chance the weatherman could possibly be wrong (it happens once in a blue moon right? wink, wink), but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we at least enjoy a peek or two of sun today.
Now, just because Mother Nature put the kabosh on all outdoor plans for the weekend, we didn’t let it ruin our fun. Our weekend was still packed with activities. We cozied up in front of the TV and watched game after game of college football (all my favorite teams won! Yay!), we took the boat out of the water and brought in all the outdoor furniture for the season (boo!) and I worked on a recipe or two with my neighbor David, who used to own his own restaurant back in the day. I can’t wait to share!
So I don’t know about you guys, but when the weather is dreary and cool my favorite meal is a big bowl of soup or stew. And since there’s always an extra beer around our house during football season, I decided this Ale Braised Pork Stew with Vegetables and Apples was just the ticket.
I went with a pork shoulder because it’s one of my favorite cuts of meat for braising and a brown ale (Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale). The ale helped tenderize the pork perfectly and it deepened the flavor of the stew. It gave it a caramel and earthy flavor. I added the usual cast of characters…potatoes, carrots, onions and celery and then decided on throwing in some apples because it’s fall after all. This is one hearty dish that will warm you to the bone! Enjoy!
- 3 lb. pork shoulder cut into 1-inch cubes
- 5 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 medium onions diced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 3 cups brown ale I used Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 8 cups vegetables cut into 1 inch pieces (I used a combination of small red potatoes, carrots and celery)
- 2 medium apples peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used Fuji apples)
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
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Season pork with salt and pepper.
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In a large Dutch oven, heat 3 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add the pork in batches and cook until browned on all sides, about 6-7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
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Add remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil and onions to the Dutch oven and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add flour and cook for 1 minute.
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Add the ale and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then add the broth, brown sugar, the pork and any juices to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered until the pork is very tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
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Add the 8 cups of vegetables and apples and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to cook, partially covered until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
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If you like your stew a little thicker put 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour in a small bowl with 4 Tbsp. of the stew broth. Whisk together. Add this mixture to the pot and stir until well combined. Continue to cook for 5 minutes.
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Add salt, pepper and parsley. Serve in bowls.
This stew looks so delicious Mary Ann. Perfect comfort food for cold days.
I know you won’t be having any cold days anytime soon where you live Alida, but we’re just starting here with colder weather. This will be served quite a few times before our cold seasons are over! Have a great week!
I don’t understand what you are saying, Mary Ann, about happy it’s Monday, lol :D We have the exact opposite of you here. Our weekend was lovely and it’s raining today. Sounds like you made the most of your weekend, though, and, believe it or not, sometimes I like when it rains ’cause I get stuff done that I might otherwise put off and, plus, it’s so nice to cook comfort dishes like this when it’s raining. Absolutely love the combo of beer, pork and apple here. So different for in a stew. Pinned, of course. Can’t wait to try this on a rainy day ;) Have a wonderful week! xo
Well, I’m still waiting for the sun to come out!! This is the perfect dish for a rainy day Dawn. I hope you enjoy it if you give it a go!
Ugh the weather has had me in such a funk all week. Seems like it’s been rain and darkness for days on end! Definitely happy to have a little Monday sunshine! This soup looks so cozy – love the beer! :-)
I can’t stand it any more Liz! I’m still waiting for the sun to show it’s face today! Keeping my fingers crossed. I knew you’d like this one. The brown ale gives this stew such a wonderful flavor. Hope your week gets better!
Our weekend was so dreary too, not so much rain but just enough to make it miserable! This stew would’ve made it way better though!
It’s such a tasty fall dish Gina! So comforting! Hope your week is wonderful!
Even though you got some rain, sounds like you had a marvelous weekend! How fun that you have a neighbor who used to own his own restaurant!!! and this stew looks amazing!!! love!
We did Alice. I know, I’m so lucky to have David right next door! He’s a wealth of knowledge in the kitchen. We made some compound butters that were delicious! Can’t wait to share!
It rained here a lot over the weekend too, but the sun did come out and shine upon us a decent amount as well, so I’d have to say our weekend was better than yours! ;) I’ll keep my fingers crossed you guys get gorgeous weather this week! Now this soup- holy yum!! This looks super comforting and delicious, Mary Ann! I love that you used ale and apples in here! Pinned! Cheers to a beautiful Monday, friend!
I’m seeing some peeks of sun as I’m typing! Yay! It’s been a long time coming Chey! This stew is so incredibly flavorful. I do not drink beer, but I love it when it’s included in recipes. Tom loved this one too! Even the veggies!!
Perfect fall comfort food!
Yes Naomi, it’s one of our favorites! Loaded with all good things! AND beer!
They kept predicting rain but luckily it came at night, allowing us to enjoy the crisp days and get our mums and pumpkins out. Boy – what I wouldn’t do for a big bowl of this stew! A perfect dinner for these fall days!
Lucky you Annie! The sun is out today, so I’m soaking it all in! You should definitely give this one a try! It’s delicious!
Sending some sun your way, we’ve got plenty of it. Love this stew so much!
Please do Matt! Thanks so much. This one is a fall favorite at our house!
Sounds like we had the same weekend. Lots of vegging on the couch watching TV. I loved it but it’s nice to see the sun out today. This soup looks so comforting and delicious! Have a great week Mary Ann!
Yes Karen!! I’m so glad to see the sun too! This one is a definite keeper Karen! Hope your week is off to a great start! XO
OK, so send me some rain here in San Diego and I’ll gladly send you some sunshine if I could. We need a season out here already! :)
Two things do it for me on this one. One you used pork shoulder instead of beef and two you added apples to the mix. I’m thinking this hit the spot as it has me hungry and I just had breakfast. Nice Mary Ann!
The pork is so delicious in this dish Kevin. So nice and tender! And I had to add the apples, because it’s fall and I’ve got apples coming out my ears at the moment! Of course my husband Tom, proceeded to pick out each and every apple piece in his portion! The man is crazy! He LOVES apple sauce, but can’t eat whole pieces of apple! Really? And one of my boys is just like him! SMH!
Pork? Veggies? Apples? Stew? What a perfect fall dish :)
Thanks guys! It’s one of our favorites!
This looks just right for a rainy day Mary Ann. Please send some rain ☔️ our way, we need it very much.
I’ll say a prayer for some rain Gerlinde!
Lovin’ this stew so much! It is perfect for these cozy fall days ahead!
Yay! Yes, now that the days are turner cooler this is one of our favorite comfort food meals. It will be a regular on our menu. Thanks so much Tieghan!
Girl, you know I love some beer braised meat and this pork stew does not disappoint! It looks perfect for a dreary weekend, but it sure sounds like you made the best of the rainy weather! A day of watching football and eating this stew sounds pretty good to me! Pinned!
I knew you’d go for this one Rachelle! You’re going to love it! Thanks for pinning!
This looks incredible! I love the Dogfish brown ale too, and I can just imagine how it adds such a nice touch to this stew.
It’s so good in this stew Alyssa! And I’m not even I beer drinker, but I love it!
This looks incredible, Mary Ann! I love the addition of apples-yum!
Thanks so much Jessica! I’ll swap some of this stew for some of your Paleo Twix Bars! Deal?
Loving every bit of this! I am already imagining how great this would be for the Saturday football-watching afternoons. So good, Mary Ann!
So glad you like it Tessa! It would be perfect to cozy up to watch the football games! Hope you’re having a great week! XO
The drop in temps make this soup perfect for the chilly days that lay ahead.
Yes it’s perfect for the cooler weather! It’s nice and hearty. Total comfort food!
Such a perfect Fall stew! Love the apples. Must be so lovely with the pork and vegetables. Hope the sun shines for you :)
It really is Jennifer! So nice and hearty and comforting!
It’s still so hot in LA and we have no rain, but I feel like I could curl up with some of that stew with you!
I hear it’s been hot there! Hoping for a cool down soon for you guys. Hope you enjoy this one if you try it Lynn!
I love a bowl of hearty and comforting stew in the fall. This looks so perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon!
You’ll love this one Laura! It really is fall comfort in a bowl! Happy weekend!
Nothing better than a hearty stew on a rainy day. I’m saving this recipe for a fall or winter weekend when we’re all about hunkering down and eating some delicious comfort food. Love that you put apples in here!
Great idea Cathy! We’ll have plenty of those I’m sure!