A simple, delicious pork and butter bean stew cooked in ham stock and Bramley apple sauce before being finished with black pudding and sage.
This delicious and hearty stew takes around an hour and 45 minutes to cook and prepare, but it is very easy, and most of that cooking time is hands-off.
Pork with Beans, Apple Sauce and Black Pudding
When the weather turns grey, cold and miserable, you can't beat a good, hearty stew to warm you up!
My site is littered with this sort of food, with examples which range from a classic British beef and suet dumpling stew, to Hungarian marha porkolt and Belgian carbonnade flamande, to Filipino beef kaldereta.
Now all of those dishes scream about beef, but it ain't the only meat in town! This recipe is much more "porcine"; it's a pork stew with black pudding, butter beans and apple sauce.
Like most stew recipes, this dish takes a couple of hours to cook. But it is very easy, and prep will take you around 5 minutes before you start cooking.
The sharp Bramley apple sauce balances out the salty ham stock, which forms the "gravy" for this dish. The beans give the dish a lighter feel than many stews, but it still leaves you feeling "comfortably" stuffed!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different cut of pork?
Yes, but ensure that it has a little fat; lean pork will overcook and dry out. Pork belly would be ideal, as would collar or blade.
Do I have to use ham stock?
No, chicken, vegetable or pork stock would all work.
Knorr makes ham stock cubes, and they are wonderful in this recipe. I use them in recipes as diverse as my mango chutney pork chops and my apple and bacon stuffed pork chops.
Can I use dried beans?
Yes, but you will need to cook them before you add them to the stew.
Do I have to use butter beans?
No, any white bean would work equally well.
What is Bramley apple sauce?
This question gets asked a lot by my American visitors. Bramley apples are a pretty "unique" British variety; they are very floury and very tart. They are practically inedible as an eating apple, but they make incredible sauces and pies.
You could use any unsweetened apple sauce.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, however, I would leave out the black pudding, and then fry it whilst you are reheating the stew and add it at the end.
Serving Suggestions
I consider this pork and bean stew to be a pretty perfect, well-balanced, one-pot meal, and it really does not need a side.
Having said that, the delicious ham stock/broth begs for some bread to be dipped in it.
I usually grab a crusty loaf that looks good from the supermarket.
If I were to bake a loaf, it would be a soda bread, mainly because it is very easy, but it is also delicious and rustic, which is very in keeping with this recipe.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 20cm or 8" heavy pot with a lid (Dutch oven).
- 25cm or 10" frying pan.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Kitchen tongs and serving spoons.
- Sieve or colander.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Pork and Butter Bean Stew Recipe with Apple Sauce and Black Pudding
Ingredients
- 350 g Diced Pork Shoulder 12oz
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Medium Onion 150g
- 75 g Bramley Apple Sauce
- 12 Sage Leaves
- 375 ml Ham Stock 1½ Cups
- 175 g Black Pudding 6oz
- 15 g Butter 1 Tbsp
- 400 g Butter Beans 2 Cups drained and cooked (I use jarred beans)
Instructions
- If your pork is not already diced, cut it into large 35mm (1½") chunks.
- Top and tail the onion, cut it into 8 wedges, then break it into petals.
- Season the pork with the salt, then heat the cooking oil in a 20cm (8") heavy-based pot over a medium-high heat.When the oil is hot, add the pork and brown on all sides.
- Toss in the onion petals and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until lightly softened.
- Add half of the sage leaves (roughly torn), the ham stock and the Bramley apple sauce, reduce the heat to low, add a lid and simmer for 75 minutes.
- Whilst the stew is cooking, remove the skin from the black pudding and cut it into a 10-15mm (½") dice.
- Shred the remaining sage leaves.
- 7-8 Minutes before the stew has had its 75-minute cooking time, heat a 25cm (10") frying pan over a medium-high heat, and add the butter.
- When the butter begins to foam, add the black pudding and saute until crispy.
- Add the shredded sage leaves, cook for a further minute, then transfer them to the stew with the drained cooked butter beans, and cook for a final 10 minutes.