Tasty Vegetable Stew
Submitted by CAB
An old-fashioned root vegetable stew with salt pork, cabbage, carrots, turnips, parsnips, and potatoes slow-steamed until fork-tender. Farmhouse cooking at its most honest and filling.
YIELD
4 generous servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsThis is the kind of stew your great-grandmother made when the root cellar was full and the weather had turned cold.
Salt pork renders down into savory, golden fat that coats every vegetable in the pot: cabbage, carrots, turnips, parsnips, and big cubes of potato.
No stock needed. Just a splash of water, a tight lid, and an hour of gentle steaming until everything is meltingly tender and the flavors have melded into something deeply comforting.
Serve it in deep bowls with warm, freshly baked rolls to soak up every last drop.
Variations
- Bacon swap: Use thick-cut bacon ends instead of salt pork for a smokier base.
- Add rutabaga alongside or in place of the turnips for a slightly sweeter stew.
Kitchen Tips
- Render the salt pork slowly over low heat. Rushing it means chewy pork and less flavorful fat for cooking the vegetables.
- Keep the lid tight during the steaming hour. The vegetables cook in their own moisture, and lifting the lid lets precious steam escape.
- Add potatoes after the other vegetables have had their 30 minutes. They cook faster and will fall apart if they go in at the start.
Ingredients
Directions
Render pork slices in a heavy saucepan.
Cut slices in sereral pieces and return to the pan with the onion and pepper.
Stir and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Add cabbage, carrots, turnips and parsnip.
Cook for ½ hour stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Stir in potatoes and water.
Cover closely and let steam for about 1 hour.
Serve with freshly baked rolls.
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