Tender chunks of pork shoulder in a savoury tomato sauce, spiced with smoked paprika and chilli powder, this warming stew is what you’d choose to eat around a campfire!
This winter warmer is made even more delicious and nutrient packed by adding white cannellini beans, carrots and butternut squash.
Serve this mouthwatering stew with our Maple Butter Corn Muffins.
I’m looking ahead at the autumn, and with the impending drop in temperatures, the need for delicious homemade food becomes greater than ever.
I am a big fan of hearty dishes that nourish our bodies and make us feel cozy on the inside. This campfire stew does just that.
I prepared it in the slow cooker to make the cooking process a snap. Easy, wholesome and satisfying, this winter warmer ticks all the boxes.
What Is Campfire Stew
As the name suggests this stew is something you’d make and eat around a campfire. I made it to serve for Guy Fawkes Day, also known as Bonfire Night, here in the UK.
Traditionally people have outdoor parties to celebrate the momentous occasion of one guy who tried but failed to blow up the Houses of Parliament. It’s a fun night filled with fireworks, food and bonfires.
Pork shoulder, chunks of butternut squash, carrots and cannellini beans are cooked slowly with a selection of warming spices.
Since I’m deep in the heart of a city, I wasn’t able to cook it over a campfire. I added a healthy pinch of smoked paprika to emulate the smoky flavour a campfire would have given.
How to make It
As I mentioned earlier the process for this stew couldn’t be easier. Just load up your slow cooker and let it do its thing. The only piece of advice I have is to brown your pork shoulder pieces beforehand.
While I do not think all meat has to be browned before adding to a slow cooker, pork shoulder does. It tends to be a fatty cut, which benefits from searing at high heat first. I believe it to be a necessary step as no one would like a mouthful of fat in their stew.
I recommend cooking this pork stew on LOW for 8-10 hours depending on your slow cooker. This will produce tender, melt in your mouth pork bites, perfectly cooked carrots and butternut squash as well as just the right amount of liquid.
Recipe tips and notes
- You can substitute the pork should shoulder with beef brisket or any other cut of beef suitable for slow cooking. Don’t use steaks though.
- Feel free to use any beans you love or happen to have in your store cupboards. I’m a fan of cannellini beans, but red kidney beans, butter beans or pinto beans are also great options.
- Butternut squash could be replaced with potatoes or sweet potatoes.
- Any dark beer like a stout or porter could be used in place of the Guinness. If you do not want to use any beer, substitute with beef stock and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce.
- This recipe can also be made on a stovetop. Cook on low heat for 2-2.5hrs, depending on how you like your meat.
- To make in an Instant Pot, cook at high pressure for 50 minutes.
Serving suggestions
This stew is sufficient on its own but you can also add a side dish to make it go further. In this case I recommend adding our Chipotle Mayo Roasted Potato Wedges. The perfect mix of a warming stew and smoky flavoured crispy potatoes.
If the stew holds enough spice for you, these creamy Herb and Garlic Mashed Potatoes are also a great match.
Whatever you decide don’t forget to add our buttery cornbread muffins or a slice of rustic farmhouse bread.
Leftovers and storage
This stew is fantastic for leftovers, so it can be worth the effort to make a large batch to keep for other meals. It’ll keep in your fridge for up to a week.
It also freezes beautifully. Store it in your freezer in an airtight container for up to one month.
In both cases, you can heat up the stew either in a microwave or on your stovetop in a saucepan. If it is looking a bit dry, add a splash of water.
Slow Cooker Campfire Stew
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 lbs /700g-1 kg pork shoulder fat removed
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 carrots cut into large chunks
- 1 lbs lbs /500g Butternut Squash ½ of a medium squash, cubed
- 1 cup 250ml stout such as Guinness or stock
- 14 oz /400g canned chopped tomatoes
- 14 oz /400g canned cannellini beans liquid drained (drained weight 240g)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.5-1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cube the pork shoulder and cut away as much fat as possible. Season with salt and pepper and sear on high heat. Set aside until needed.
- Peel and core butternut squash, cut in half, then cube one half of it. Reserve the other half for another use. Peel and cut carrots into large chunks.
- Add the squash, carrots, chopped onion and minced garlic to the bottom of a slow cooker. Add the seared pork, cannellini beans, bay leaves, smoked paprika and chilli powder. Pour Guinness and canned chopped tomatoes with 1 tsp of salt and pepper over. Stir to combine. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
