Pork and Mushroom Casserole
A very simple dish to prepare which makes great use of the slow cooker. Simply brown the meat, fry the onions and make the sauce then leave it all in the slow cooker with a few more ingredients for six to eight hours.
Pork loin is taken from the top of the pig roughly half way along the back, above the belly. It is taken from both sides. Normally it is boneless (as in this recipe) although it is possible for the bone to remain. It is a lean cut of pork with just a section of fat running down one side of the loin. Pork loin is more suited to slow cooking compared to pork chops.
Ingredients for Pork and Mushroom Casserole
225g / 8oz Closed cup mushrooms
Small (225g) can chopped tomatoes
1 Large red onion
1 Sweet (bell) pepper
2 Tablespoons plain flour
2 Tablespoons tomato puree (paste)
300ml / ½ pint White wine
150ml / ¼ pint Vegetable stock (1 cube in water)
1 Teaspoon dried / 2 teaspoon fresh sage fresh or diced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Pork and Mushroom Casserole prepared ingredients
Remove stalk, seeds and pith from sweet (bell) pepper.
Slice into thin strips then cut them in half.
Wash and pat dry the mushrooms. Slice them.
Remove excess fat from the pork then cut into cubes.
The rice we used to go with this casserole was Kashmiri rice and we added some peas for colour and sweetness. All of the yellow colour of the rice comes from the addition of the turmeric.
Pour half the oil into a pan on a medium heat. Fry the cubes of pork for around five minutes until they are cream coloured all over. Stir and turn the pork every minute to ensure it is cooked evenly.
Turn the slow cooker onto the High setting and add the pork cubes and juices to the slow cooker.
STEP 2Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the onions. Fry them, stirring frequently, for four minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and stir it in quickly. Slowly pour in the wine stirring to mix it in. Do the same with the stock.
Sauce for Pork and Mushroom Casserole
Add the mix to the slow cooker along with all the remaining ingredients and stir them together. Cook for 45 minutes in the slow cooker on the High heat.
Turn the slow cooker to Low heat and cook for a further 5 to 7 hours.
At the beginning the mix in the slow cooker will look very thick, even a bit sticky because of the flour. Don't worry, that's how it should be. As the ingredients cook they will release fluid to give the correct consistency to the gravy.
Slow cook the Pork and Mushroom Casserole
Serve onto hot plates. We served our Pork and Mushroom Casserole with a mixture of rice and peas.
This casserole freezes very well and only requires re-heating.
Pork and Mushroom Casserole with Rice