Harvest Pork and Apple Stew for Mother Natures Son

[LaurieAnn]

Please note that the dehydration time is approximate and could be longer with lower wattage dehydrators and in areas where the humidity is high. The servings in this meal are more on the hearty side. Also there is a longer rehydration time (about 30 to 40 minutes) so this is best served on a day when you are in camp a little earlier. The soup that helps flavor the dish is Golden Mushroom by Campbells. I've never tested this with Cream of Mushroom Soup.

Harvest Pork and Apple Stew
From A Fork in the Trail © 2008

Dehydration time: 7–10 hours
Makes 4–6 servings

The inspiration for this stew came to me while my family and I were hiking among the old stone foundations of a hillside farm and near an abandoned orchard one autumn. Rice or egg noodles are a great accompaniment for this dish.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound pork tenderloin
a handful of flour
1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 can (10 ounces) condensed golden mushroom soup
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 tart apples, cored, peeled, and diced
1/4 cup fresh mushrooms – quartered
1/3 cup apple juice
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Rice or bread (optional)

At Home
Cut the meat into 1-inch pieces. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Coat the meat chunks in flour and then place them carefully in the pot, being careful not to splash oil on yourself. Brown the beef. Add the onions and celery, cooking until the onions wilt and become translucent.

Add the mushroom soup, honey, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, apples, mushrooms, apple juice, and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for an hour or more until the meat is tender when forked. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the stew to cool. Remove the pork and shred it with two forks.

Measure the stew and write this measurement on a sticky note. Put the pork and sauce on separate lined dehydrator trays and dry for 7 to 10 hours. Place all the dried ingredients in a ziplock freezer bag along with the sticky note. Pack rice or bread if desired.

At Camp
Add enough boiling water to the dried stew to equal the measurement on your sticky note. Be sure to account for and add your dried ingredients to the rehydration container prior to adding the water. You can always add more water if you need to. Let the stew rehydrate for 30 to 40 minutes or until fully hydrated. Add more water if necessary. If the meat does not fully rehydrate, simmer it for about 5 minutes on your camp stove.

Tip
If you prefer, you can cook this meal “At Home” in a slow cooker.

[Boliche]

Laurie Ann,
Thanks for a tasty recipe. Made it up tonight.

According to my wife, children, and grandchildren, if I continue on the present path, I will be promoted from "Domestic Slug" to "Domestic 2nd Class."

Of course this will only happen once I learn how to cook a few more dishes and actually bake home made from scratch cookies.

Boliche

[LaurieAnn]

Glad everyone liked it.

About the cookies. Just grab some pre-made dough and hide the wrapper - I won't tell on you... lol.