Slow Cooker Pork Stew

Thick and creamy pork stew made easily right in the slow cooker. The perfect comfort food served all on its own or with biscuits.

Alright, so I’ve had a pork shoulder sitting in my freezer for like, a month.

Okay, maybe two months, to be honest.

Three tops.

For crying out loud, it’s probably been in there for like 6 months, I honestly have no idea. Basically, this Sunday, my internal clock told me that I’d have to use this gosh darn pork meat now or never. (Yeah man. I have an internal clock for frozen pieces of pork.)

How long does pork last in the freezer?

• Cooked or uncooked pork can last in the freezer for 6-8 months. 

…Okay. So I was still safe. But it was now or never and I knew it.

I wasn’t really in the mood for experimentation, so I decided to turn to my trusty stand-by stew recipe. Also known as my crock pot creamy chicken stew. (It’s one of my most popular recipes on the blog, ever.) But in this case, I was going to use my trusty pork shoulder instead of chicken. You have probably gathered that by now.  So I chucked the necessities into my new Crock Pot (that you can actually put on the stovetop to sear things before you slow cook), and I called it a day. It was time to do something fun and wait for dinner to cook itself.

What cut of pork meat is best for stew?

• Pork Shoulders are the best for slow cooking and for putting in stews.
• Pork Belly can be used in stews, but given it’s high fat content, strip some of the extra fat away first.
• Pork Cheek can also be used and is good for slow cooking. (It’s an underrated cut and very inexpensive.)

Print Recipe

Slow Cooker Pork Stew

Yield: 4 servings

Total Time: 8 hours

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 6-8 hours

Thick and creamy pork stew made easily right in the slow cooker. The perfect comfort food served all on its own or with biscuits.

Ingredients:

• 1 (1.5 lb.) pork shoulder, cut into bite-sized cubes.
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 small red potatoes, cut into quarters
• 1 cup baby carrots, cut in half
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 (10 ¾ oz.) can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup whole milk*
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 (1 oz.) packet dry ranch dressing mix
• Salt/pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon Parsley flakes

Directions:

Melt the butter on the bottom of the crock pot.

Add all of the vegetables on top and stir to coat with the butter.

Salt/Pepper the diced pork as desired and add to the crock pot.

Mix together the soup, milk, sour cream and ranch dressing mix.  Temper the mixture by heating it for 30 seconds in the microwave.

Pour the mixture on top of the pork.

Cover the crock pot and cook on low for approximately 6-8 hours**, or until the potatoes are soft and pork is cooked through. Low and slow is the best with milk and dairy products.

Sprinkle with parsley and crumbled bacon and serve, (preferably with biscuits!)

*The extra fat in whole milk will prevent it from curdling, along with tempering it beforehand and cooking it low and slow.

**Slow cookers do vary in terms of heat and cook time, thus the 6-8 hour range. You know your slow cooker best!

The Ultimate Guide to Pork Cuts

All images and text ©Stephanie Melchione for The Cozy Cook