Name: Easy Pork and Mushroom Stew
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: olive oil for the pan; 1½ cups diced onion (bite-sized pieces),; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1 pound Crimini or Button mushrooms, (washed and dried, thinly sliced); 2 teaspoons dried thyme; 1 teaspoon dried tarragon; ¼ cup medium dry sherry; 1½ pounds pork tenderloin, (cut into bite-sized pieces); ⅓ cup vegetable or meat stock; 1⅓ cup frozen peas, (thawed); salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Easy Pork and Mushroom Stew is full of earthy flavors and fresh ingredients. With sherry and aromatic herbs, this stew is hearty, comforting and delicious, and will quickly become a family favorite!

If you’ve been following Cooking On The Weekends for a while, you know how much I love being in the kitchen — delectable briskets cooking all day, yummy bread puddings that soak up aromatic ingredients for hours, scrumptious casseroles that involve layer after layer . . . and the list goes on.

That said, sometimes I just need to feed my family in a quick and easy way. And while I will cut the time and complexity, I will never cut the deliciousness!

Case in point: this Easy Pork and Mushroom Stew.

Above: Bits of mushroom and onion stuck to the pan. Part of what makes this stew (and so many dishes) so delicious is deglazing the pan. Deglazing is adding a liquid to a hot pan when caramelized bits of the ingredients are stuck to the bottom. Doing this releases them and allows them to be mixed back into the dish. These bits that are stuck are packed with flavor and will deepen the overall flavor of the stew. (In this recipe, the liquid is sherry.)

Above: This is the same pan after it’s been deglazed with sherry. All of those stuck bits of deliciousness have been released and brought back into the mix.

What makes it quick and easy?

This stew recipe is made in one pot.
When cut into bite-sized pieces, pork tenderloin only takes a few minutes to cook all the way through.
Like most pork stew recipes, it’s a bit rustic, so the cuts don’t have to be precise.
The flavors come together very quickly, though it will taste like it took hours because it’s so rich and the flavors are deep.

What to Serve with it

When I make this one-pot, quick and easy stew I serve it over rice. You can also serve it with pasta or toasted crusty bread. Anything that will easily soak up any extra sauce will be fantastic.

Can you Make it ahead?

Even though this pork stew recipe comes together so quickly, you can also make it ahead of time. Let it cool completely before putting it in a tightly sealed container and refrigerating. It will keep nicely for up to about four days. When you’re warming it, add a few tablespoons of additional stock, and be sure just to heat it through and not cook it any longer.

Can you freeze stew?

Most stews, including this one, can be made ahead and frozen, and reheat well. Stew is best reheated on the stove or in the oven. Store the stew in a tightly sealed container in the freezer for up to about a month. Thaw it in the refrigerator, and when you warm it, just do so long enough to heat it through, and not further cook it.

Recipe Tips and Substitutions

You can use fresh herbs instead of dry if desired. If you do, use three times the amount.
If you don’t have peas, or don’t love them, you can add steamed broccoli or fresh spinach — or any combination thereof.
I love the flavor of sherry with mushrooms, which is why I almost always use it to deglaze the pan when cooking with them. However, dry white wine works well also. And if you don’t have, or don’t want to use either, use an equal amount of vegetable or meat stock.
I hope you love this Pork and Mushroom Stew as much as my family and I do!

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