Looking for a different, unusual stew? Try Elizabethan Pork Stew. In the Elizabethan era (1558-1603), meat, because of the lack of refrigeration, was often on the verge of spoiling. To mask the disagreeable flavor, people added fruits and spices to their stews.

In this recipe, I use of combination of dried apricots and currants, with fresh apples, and citrus. The result is a slightly sweetened—but not too sweet—stew, which is complementary to the pork. And of course, today we are not trying to mask the taste of spoiled meat, but rather enhancing it with the addition of the fruits and spices. For an article on Elizabethan cooking, click here.

Other stew recipes: Beef Stew; Duck Legs in Red Wine.

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For the Dry Marinade

Mix all ingredients except for the juniper berries in a mortar or small bowl. Add the juniper berries and crush them with a pestle, or crush them first with a rolling pin, then add them to the other spices.

Using a marinade is optional, but I can tell you that it both tenderizes and accentuates the taste of the pork.

For the Stew

Trim any fat from the pork shoulder, and cut it into 1⁄2-inch cubes. Place the cubes in a large bowl. Add the dry marinade ingredients, and mix with your hands until all the cubes are fully coated.

Cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight, and turn the meat several times. If you have only a few hours to marinate, leave it out of the refrigerator, turning the meat several times.

Dredge the meat in the flour.

Shake off any excess flour. I like to do this in a sieve.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven and sauté the meat in batches until it is lightly browned.

Remove the browned meat to a large bowl.

Chop the onions and dice the celery. Lightly brown them in the same Dutch oven, adding more oil only if necessary.

Return the meat to the Dutch oven. Add the red wine, bring all to the boil, and boil for 2-3-minutes. Lower the heat to a simmer.

Peel the apple, and coarsely chop it, as well as the apricots, and add them to the Dutch oven.

Zest and juice the lemon and 1 orange, and add all of it to the Dutch oven.

Stir in the honey, 1 cup of the beef broth, bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, mace, crushed garlic cloves, salt and pepper to taste.

Bring the Elizabethan Pork Stew back to the simmer.

Cover the Dutch oven, and simmer it for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Watch the stew carefully because you may need to add more of the beef broth to keep it from burning or becoming dry.

Peel and segment the remaining two oranges.

Allow the stew to cool, then run paper towels along the top to remove any fat that has risen. Reheat the stew to a simmer and taste to adjust the seasoning. Remove the bay leaf and any whole garlic cloves.

Serve the Elizabethan Pork Stew, topping each serving with the orange segments.

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