Pork & Chestnut Stew

1 pound of lean boneless pork loin, cut into ½-inch cubes

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoon cooking oil

1 cup of thinly sliced leeks

2 medium-size carrots cut into 2-inch julienne strips

1 14-oz can of whole tomatoes, un-drained and coarsely chopped

2 cups of water

1 cup of Burgundy or other dry red wine

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

6 prunes, pitted and quartered

2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

12 shelled chestnuts, roasted and coarsely chopped

Instructions

Sprinkle pork loin with black pepper. Pour 1 tablespoon of oil into a large saucepan; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add pork, and sauté for two minutes or until browned. Remove pork and set aside.

Add second tablespoon of cooking oil. Add leeks and carrots; sauté five minutes or until tender. Return pork to pan; add tomatoes and next seven ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for one hour.

Combine all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup of stew broth; add to pork mixture, stirring well. Add chopped chestnuts to pork mixture and simmer 10 minutes or until thickened.

Yield: 6 cups.

Read Carleen Madigan Perkins’ article Fresh Picked: Chestnuts in the October/November 2008 issue of Horticulture.