Roasted Pork Shoulder Stew with Butternut Squash, Tomato, and Kale Recipe

Looking for something tasty to warm up this winter? Try this Roasted Pork Shoulder Stew with Butternut Squash, Tomato, and Kale. This meal will turn your house into a cozy zone with the wonderful aromas of sweet butternut squash and an amazing scent of chili and roasted pork

I love pork dishes as I grew up cooking with pork more than beef. We used pork in stir-frys, salads, soups, curries, and stews. In Thailand, we don't have a big oven such as we have here in the United States. All of the dishes prepared in Thailand will use a stove or charcoal grill. The good thing about a stove is it’s quicker when I prepare a stew.  I like to give myself more time for the weekend and so I cook with the oven.

This recipe is one that I am adapting from a Whole30 cookbook which is where they suggest to make it in the oven. Another good thing about when I cook stew in the oven is I don't have to stir it often. The stew slowly cooks and as a result is I have pretty butternut squash that doesn't fall apart from all the stirring required by cooking on a stovetop.

This Roasted Pork Shoulder Stew with Butternut Squash, Tomato, and Kale takes a few hours to cook, so it is good for a weekend cook-off or you can toss it in a slow cooker during the week (cook on the low setting for 7 to 9 hours).

When I make a big batch I am able to eat it throughout the week and freeze some to reheat and eat later. This is such a quick way for me when I am running out of food. The leftover frozen stew will save me time and my tummy which is important to have food on hand while you are doing Whole30. You can trust me as I have prepped my meals for a week, but a few times while on this program I have found out that I shorted myself  a meal. So off to the freezer I go and grabbed  some leftovers which has totally saved me.

This is a great warm stew  with some fresh pork, butternut squash, tomato, garlic, and kale. Add in a little rice vinegar to bright up this stew and this makes for a delicious one-pot comfort meal. I really like the tenderness of pork with some sweetness from the butternut squash. This stew tastes even better the next day.

This is how I make my "Roasted Pork Shoulder Stew with Butternut Squash, Tomato, and Kale Recipe":

Tips

• Slow cooker: Prep the meat and garlic, by following the directions below. Brown them and then toss everything except kale in slow cooker. Set it at low for 7-8 hours. Then toss Kale and let it cook for an additional 30 minutes.
• For those who are doing Whole30, you can prep you week of meals while you are waiting for the stew to cook slowly in the oven. Or if you would like you may choose some of the recipes that require stove top cooking. This way you can get everything done! ​

Roasted Pork Shoulder Stew with Butternut Squash, Tomato, and Kale Recipe
Author: Nattaya Worrakitpoonpol
Adapted from The Whole30 Recipe Cookbook
​PREP TIME:  30 MINS
ACTIVE TIME: 11 minutes
COOK TIME:  3 hours (up to 9 hours if you use low heat in slow cooker)
TOTAL TIME:  3 hours and 41 MINS
​SERVES: 4 (with extra leftovers)

Ingredients:

2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into medium size chunks (boneless)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
3 teaspoons  paprika
3 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons  onion powder
2 teaspoons ground sea salt
3 teaspoons black pepper
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (no sugar added)
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped
1 pound fresh carrot, 1-inch diced
1 butternut squash, 1-inch diced
1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
1 cup diced tomatoes
2 cups organic chicken broth

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300° F.

In a big plastic bag, thoroughly mix the chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Add your pork chunks into the bag, close it with a twist tie, and make sure to coat evenly with seasoning mix on each side. Let the pork marinate for 20 minutes in the refrigerator (or you can marinate overnight).

In a large pan over low heat with extra virgin olive oil, add fresh garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant about 1 minute. Remove garlic from a pan allowing the oil to remain.

Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add your marinated pork and cook 9 minutes or until pork is browned on each side. Remove pork from the pan; set aside.

In a dutch oven roasting pan, add 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth and the browned pork. Cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil. Cook in the oven, turning the pork every 30 minutes.

After 2 hours, add butternut squash, carrots, and fried garlic with 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Continue cooking for 30 minutes.

Add the chopped kale and diced tomatoes; cook for 30 more minutes.

Remove the dutch oven pan from the oven. Using tongs, break up or shred the pork shoulder. Add rice vinegar into the stew with salt and black pepper for a taste to your liking. Using a wooden slotted spoon, gently stir all the ingredients to make sure all the vinegar is mixed well into the stew. But please don't try to break up the butternut squash.

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