Pork Rib Stew
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Warm, comforting, hearty pork rib stew is the perfect bowl to curl up with, share at the cabin, or embrace on a chilly Sunday afternoon. The slow-cooked pork ribs in red wine, crushed tomatoes, and beef stock provide the base for this stew. Throw in some potatoes, onion, carrots, and peas and you have yourself nourishment in a bowl. All you need now is a spoon!
Also, try this creamy chicken stew with dumplings and this Instant Pot beef stew!
Stews are such a wonderful thing, aren't they? There's something so warm and wholesome about it all. This pork rib stew is no exception ā it's just what your soul ordered!
The total time to cook your pork rib stew is lengthy ā but! ā the best stews take time. It allows the meat to slow-cook and tenderize, and all the flavors to blend together. Fortunately, the prep time is just 15 minutes, and the rest is all oven time! Just don't go hoping you can dig in fast ā good things take time and love, don't cha know!
What's in pork rib stew?
Lots of these ingredients you probably already have in the fridge or pantry, making this hearty stew even more attractive! Here's what you'll need and what it adds to the pork rib stew recipe:
- Pork ribs: Pick up a rack of ribs at your grocer or butcher. You'll need to cut it into three sections so it'll fit into your pot. You can ask the butcher to cut it, or simply cut it between the bones when you get home. This is the star of the show, slow-cooked until perfection!
- Salt and pepper: you'll use these to season the pork and the stew to your liking.
- Olive oil: This helps to make sure the meat doesn't stick to the pot while you're searing the pork ribs.
- Onion and garlic:Ā you'll need a whole onion and 3 cloves of garlic, both finely minced for this recipe. They add base flavors to the stew that you'll build off of from here.
- Red wine: Go for a full-bodied wine, like a cabernet sauvignon. You'll only need 1 cup for the stew, so you may want to pick a wine you'll also want to drink! A glass of red wine and a bowl of stew sounds pretty perfect! And if you're not a wine drinker, you can substitute extra beef stock.
- Beef stock: You can use store-bought beef stock to keep things easy or you can add homemade beef broth to this recipe to really deepen and enhance the flavor.
- Diced tomatoes: Tomatoes add acid to balance the richness of the stew. You'll need diced tomatoes for this recipe, it'll add some texture as well as some liquid.
- Potatoes:Ā add chopped potatoes that will become tender little bites in the stew. Yukon gold potatoes are a great option because they'll hold their shape in the stew.
- Carrots:Ā chopped carrots will bring some sweetness to the stew.
- All-purpose flour:Ā keep some all-purpose flour on hand to use to thicken the stew, or you can use cornstarch for a gluten-free option.
- Frozen peas: You'll pour frozen peas into the stew at the very end so that there's a bright, fresh element to the stew.
How to cook pork rib stew
Low and slow is the name of the game here. Here are the steps to making a delicious, pot of pork rib stew:
- Prepare the ribs: Dry the rack of ribs and remove the silver skin from the back, if it's there. Season the meat and then cut it into three even sections.
- Cook the ribs: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the ribs and sear until they're beautifully dark brown. Remove the ribs from the pot and drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil.
- Braise the ribs: Add the onion and the garlic and then pour in the red wine and bring it to a boil for 30 seconds. Add the stock, tomatoes, and ribs and bring it back to a boil. Put a lid on the pot and let it cook for 2 Ā½ to 3 hours in the oven, or until the ribs are very tender.
- Add the other vegetables: Remove the ribs from the pot and add the potatoes and carrots. Cook, covered, over medium heat on your stovetop until the vegetables are tender.
**Tip: If you would like a thicker stew, mix the flour with a little water to create a thin paste, and then stir this into the stew. - Cut up the meat: Remove the bones from the ribs and then chop them into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the peas: Add the rib meat and peas to the pot and then season to taste with salt and pepper.
What to serve with pork rib stew
This stew has it all ā it's a truly balanced meal, so you could absolutely enjoy it on its own. If you're serving it as part of a larger meal, here are some great options!
- Bread: sopping up some of that stew with a nice piece of bread sounds delightful. Try making these grilled cheese croutons or this easy whole wheat Irish soda bread.
- Salad: You might want something to lighten up the meal and salads are a great option, like this spinach pomegranate salad or this spring mix salad.
- Other sides: You can make multiple side dishes to for a full meal, like tahini green beans, garlic butter rice, and roasted acorn squash. For dessert, a wonderful chocolate pie!
Can't. go. on. must. start. cooking. Holy yum
Recipe FAQs
How long does pork rib stew keep in the fridge?
This pork rib stew recipe serves 6-8, so depending on how many you're feeding you may have leftovers. And you'll be happy you do as this stew is wonderful the next day. Once cooled, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Can you freeze pork rib stew?
Yes! This is a great option to freeze and pull out again later when you're craving something warm and hearty. In an airtight container, the stew will last for 2-3 months.
Can I add any other vegetables?
Sure! You can add other root vegetables like parsnips or turnips. Mushrooms are always great in stew, too. And sometimes it's nice to stir some greens like chopped spinach or swiss chard in at the very end.
Pork Rib Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb pork ribs
- 1 teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion (finely minced)
- 3 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 cup red wine
- 4 cups beef stock
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 lb potatoes (chopped)
- 4 medium carrots (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (or cornstarch for gluten-free)
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Dry the rack of ribs with paper towels. Remove the silver skin from the back, if it's there. Season both sides with salt and pepper then cut the rack into three sections.2 lb pork ribs, 1 teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the ribs, working in batches if needed, and sear until they are dark golden brown. Remove the ribs from the pot and drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the onion to the pot and cook until it is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.1 medium onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the red wine to the pot and bring it to a boil for 30 seconds. Add the stock, tomatoes, and ribs and bring it back to a boil. Put a lid on the pot and then place it in the oven and let it cook for 2 Ā½ to 3 hours, until the ribs are very tender.1 cup red wine, 4 cups beef stock, 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- Remove the ribs from the pot and add the potatoes and carrots. Cook, covered, over medium heat on your stovetop for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. If you would like a thicker stew, mix the flour with a little water to create a thin paste, and then stir this into the stew.1 lb potatoes, 4 medium carrots, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Remove the bones from the ribs then chop them into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the rib meat and peas to the pot and let them reheat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.1 cup frozen peas
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Nutrition
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Excellent . Just prepared it now. Will do so again and again
I made this, with a few adjustments. Used beef ribs instead, seared in pan. I also cooked everything on the stove and added a bay leaf. Excellent
Made this last night and I have to admit I was a bit sceptical about making stew with ribs – I’ve never done that before. But sure glad I did. It was delicious and perfect for a chilly evening.
Stews come out best with meat on bone
love it . so simple to do thax…
Just made this, with some adjustments.
First I already know how to cook so I look for recipes to give me ideas not follow every single step. Only thing I ever did with boneless ribs is make pulled pork… bored with that, found this one. I happen to have most of the herbs growing fresh so cool, get to use my garden goodies too. Win win.
Now for the creator of this page, I have to say I find the bad reviews the most helpful. I get an idea what might need tweaking and what someone is just complaining about who didn’t like a recipe, (in which case they could have moved on.) So… armed with the notion this will have a runny red sauce, to me that’s fine. I LIKE tomatoes and if it’s too watery the easy fixes are..
1. Thicken it, (I added one small can of tomato paste.) 2. Make a starchy side, such as noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. I might do that with my left overs but mine today is just with toast. Next someone pointed out it’s acidic, well YEAAAA cider vinegar AND tomatoes? BUT there is a super easy fix for that too. At the end, if it’s too acidic, just add brown sugar to taste… start small, stir, test. Easy to add more, impossible if you over do so go slow. (By the way this works for too hot foods too. I make chili and depending on the peppers, sometimes it can curl your hair. Adding brown sugar at the end cuts heat as well as acid.) Last change I made was omit the spinach. I thought when I looked at ingredients it would be cooked in, and I suppose you could do that. But tossing leaves in a bowl then this? Yea… not for me. They work better as a cold salad. But that’s just me. So as a guide to something different to do with pork meat? This one came out pretty darn tasty.
I made this last night and it was delicious. Was looking for a different way to cook ribs and came across this recipe. The whole family loved it. Thank you!
I decided to make this in my slow cooker instead and it came out just great. Cooked the veggies for about an hour.
Hi Kristen.
This looks delicious so I am definitely going to try it but I need to scale to two people….how many does your recipe serve? 4 people?
Simon.
Hi Simon,
This will serve more like 6-8 people, especially if you serve a salad or some bread on the side. Hope you enjoy!
Also, this dish makes excellent leftovers so you might want to err on the side of making more š
What a great opportunity!! 50 recipes in two weeks? Around the holidays? You rock! This pork stew look incredible. It has been super cold where I live and it looks like this meal would warm us right up! š
Wow, Kristen – what a huge opportunity! That is just terrific. Good for you!
While I’ve never had to do 50 recipes in 2 weeks, I can sort of relate to just crazy, crazy blogging/freelance weeks. When they’re over, I just tell my husband “make me something or order me something, but I am…not…going…in…that kitchen.” š
Thank you so much, Lori!
I said the same thing to my guy lol. It was crazy how much I wanted nothing to do with my kitchen. Good to hear I’m not the only one who feels that way sometimes!