A pork and Job’s tears stew, browned deeply and simmered the way a beef stew is built—dark broth, slow cooking, and a spoonful of oyster sauce for body.
The Recipe
Serves 5–6
Ingredients
- 1 kg pork loin, cut into large chunks
- 1–2 Tbsp butter or oil, for searing
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2–3 carrots, cut into chunks
- 2 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
- ½–1 cup dried peas, soaked if necessary
- ½ cup Job’s tears (Job seed), rinsed
- 4 cups chicken broth, approximately
- 1½ Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- ½–1 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1 Tbsp butter, to finish
- Salt, only if needed after cooking
About the Oyster Sauce
At 1½ tablespoons across the entire pot, the oyster sauce won’t make the stew taste like oysters. It melts into the background, bringing deep savory flavor, a touch of sweetness, and body—helping the chicken broth taste rich and hearty.
Hearth Tips
- Brown in batches. Crowding the pan steams the meat instead of browning it.
- Scrape the fond. Those browned bits are where the deep flavor lives.
- Pork loin is lean. Don’t overcook it. Add it back near the end.
- Taste at the end. Salt only if needed. The oyster sauce and broth often bring plenty.
The Hearth Method
1. Put Some Fire on the Pork
Pat the pork dry. Get your cast-iron pan properly hot, add a little fat, and brown the pork in batches. Give each piece enough room to develop a dark brown crust. You’re not trying to cook it through yet. Remove the pork and set it aside.
2. Build the Dark Broth
Lower the heat slightly and add the onion and carrots to all those browned bits left behind by the pork. Cook about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook it against the hot pan for 1–2 minutes, until it turns a darker brick color. Now add about 1 cup chicken broth and scrape the bottom thoroughly. Stir in the oyster sauce and optional Worcestershire.
3. Cook the Slow Ingredients
Transfer everything to your stew pot if needed. Add remaining chicken broth, dried peas, Job’s tears, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer. Depending on your dried peas, give this 30–45 minutes before adding the quicker-cooking ingredients. Add additional broth or water if they absorb too much liquid.
4. Add the Vegetables
Add the potatoes and continue simmering for approximately 15 minutes.
5. Return the Pork
Return the browned pork and its accumulated juices to the stew. Simmer gently for another 20–30 minutes, just until the pork is cooked through and tender. Because we’re using lean pork loin rather than beef chuck, don’t leave it simmering for hours. The peas and grains appreciate long cooking; pork loin doesn’t.
6. Finish the Anchor
Remove the bay leaf. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter just before serving. This rounds out the broth and gives the stew that rich, hearty mouthfeel. Then taste before adding salt. The chicken broth, oyster sauce, and Worcestershire may already have provided everything it needs.
The closing word
“Brown it deeply. Cook it slowly. Share it while it’s hot.”
Pillar · Anchor · Bridge
Hold fast to the warm things.