Cut of the Month: Pork Stew

Winter is stew season. You could choose to make stew with beef or lamb, sure, but there are those who always choose pork. And pork stew fans are a specific crew. Pork stew can be classic, exactly how you’d make beef stew. But pork itself also opens up a realm of possibility. Pork pairs so well with root vegetables beyond your basic carrots: turnips, parsnips, and celeriac. Anything, really. And it also works beautifully in a range of cuisines. Pork stew meat is the co-star, alongside hominy, of pozole, for example. We eat a lot of different types of stew for staff meal, and one thing that really unites us is our deep love of pozole. It’s always a hit. It takes well to heat, too, which is why green chile pork stew is so good. 

Boneless Stew

We sell several kinds of pork stew. First up, we have boneless stew cut from the picnic ham, below the shoulder. It’s flavorful and mildly marbled. We offer this in two sizes—small and large. We do this for a few reasons including that the meat is lean, so depending on how you cook it, it doesn’t always fall apart. We have a number of customers looking for a stew that’s kid-friendly or easier to bite. The smaller cut stew meat is for them. The smaller size is also a great option for a soupy stew; the pieces evenly distribute throughout the dish and make for a lovely presentation. 

Stew Chuck & Pork Osso Buco

Next up we sell pork stew chuck. This comes from the butt, which is also typically used for pulled pork. If you like your stew to fall apart when you cook it and also enjoy a little more fat than our leaner boneless stew provides, the stew chuck is for you. If you want a pork cut that will remind you of beef stew, try pork osso buco. It almost has the texture of a chuck roast. Being a whole animal butcher means we have the flexibility to cut our stew meat from various places on the animal. This is why we can decide to, say, cut fewer country-style pork ribs off the butt so we can fill the vending machines with pork stew chuck. We hope you like it as much as we do. (Want a quick primer on whole animal butchery? Read this.)

Choose Your Stew

So, which stew is for you? It comes down to what recipe you are making and if you want more fat or less fat. Also if you want the meat to have integrity and shape versus falling apart a little. Still not sure? Try both. And while a bowl of stew is about as satisfying as it gets, stew can also make for good appetizers. If you’re hosting this holiday season, try the small-cut lean stew. With a toothpick, the bites make a pretty excellent and hearty party food. 

Pork Stew