McGillin’s Olde Ale House‘s owner Christopher Mullins, Jr.: The best way we introduce our customers to the fall season is putting our Pork & Pumpkin Stew on the menu. Just the word “pumpkin” gets everyone in the mood. This dish was created by my mother, Mary Ellen Mullins, and has been a huge success since she introduced it over 10 years ago. This dish can be found on our menu from late-September through the end of November. Enjoy my mother’s McGillin’s Olde Ale House’s Pork & Pumpkin Stew!
McGillin’s Olde Ale House’s Mary Ellen’s Pork & Pumpkin Stew
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients:
- 3 Tbps. flour
- 2 tsp. fennel, crushed
- 2 Tbps salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- 2 lbs. pork chunks, cut in 1-inch cubes
- 2 Tbps. olive oil
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 14 oz. pork au jus (chicken or vegetable broth works fine)
- 1-1/2 cups apple cider
- ¼ cup cider vinegar
- 1 small pumpkin pie grade pumpkin (about 2-1/2 lbs.), peeled and seeded, strings removed and cut into chunks. (Save shell if you’d like to serve stew in cored out shell.)
- 2 lbs. red potatoes, cut in 1-inch chunks
- 2 apples, cut into wedges
- 2 carrots, cut into chunks
Instructions:
- Place flour, fennel, salt, pepper and pork cubes in a zip-lock type plastic bag. Seal bag, shake to coat pork.
- Pour oil into a Dutch oven. Heat and add half the pork and the onion. Brown half at a time. Take out first half, brown rest.
- After pork and onion are browned, return all to pot, add broth/pork au jus, cider and cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer for about an hour.
- Add pumpkin and potatoes to pot, return to boil, reduce heat to simmer.
- Add apples and carrots, cover, simmer for 10 minutes.
- Make sure all veggies are tender before placing in a bowl or a cored-out, baked pumpkin, baked approximately 1.5 hours at 350 degrees, in a shallow baking dish. Enjoy!
