Loading recipe…

Loading recipes…

Slow Cooker Pork, Apricot and Pearl Barley Stew | DadTheFoodie

Slow Cooker Pork, Apricot and Pearl Barley Stew recipe photograph

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Season the pork with half the salt and the black pepper, then brown it in batches for 5–7 minutes, turning until coloured on several sides. Transfer the pork to the slow cooker.
Reduce the heat under the frying pan. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes until beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander and cinnamon and cook for 30 seconds.
Sprinkle the flour into the pan and stir for 1 minute. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring to lift any browned bits from the base. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato purée, bring just to a simmer, then pour the sauce into the slow cooker.
Add the carrots, dried apricots, rinsed pearl barley and bay leaf to the slow cooker. Stir well so the pork and barley are covered by the liquid.
Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, or until the pork is tender and the pearl barley is cooked. Stir once halfway through if convenient, and add a splash of boiling water if the stew becomes thicker than you would like.
Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Leave the stew to stand for 10 minutes before serving; the barley will continue to thicken the sauce.
Serve in warmed bowls with crusty bread or steamed green vegetables.

Equipment needed

Recommended slow-cooker size: 3.5 litre

3.5 litre slow cooker
Large frying pan
Wooden spoon
Chopping board and sharp knife

Swaps and substitutions

Pork shoulder → Boneless pork loin or pork leg, cut into large chunks
Pork shoulder gives the most tender result, but leaner cuts can be used; check them a little earlier.
Pearl barley → Pearl couscous added for the final 30 minutes of cooking
Do not add pearl couscous at the beginning as it can become overly soft.
Dried apricots → Dried dates or pitted prunes
Use the same weight and chop larger pieces in half.
Fresh parsley → 2 teaspoons dried parsley
Add the dried parsley with the other dried spices.

Storage and leftovers

Freezer friendly: Yes
Batch cooking: Suitable for batch cooking
Storage: Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them in a covered container within two hours. Use within 3 days. The pearl barley will absorb more liquid as it stands, so add a little water or stock when reheating if needed. Defrost: Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat until piping hot throughout. Do not cook the stew from frozen in the slow cooker.
Reheating: Reheat on the hob over a medium heat or in the microwave until piping hot throughout, stirring well. Add a splash of water or stock if the stew has thickened.
Leftover ideas: Use leftover stew as a filling for baked potatoes, or loosen it with extra stock to make a hearty soup.

Allergen information

Contains gluten from the plain flour and pearl barley. Use gluten-free flour and certified gluten-free stock if required, although pearl barley itself is not gluten-free.

Always check ingredient packaging and labels if you or someone you are cooking for has an allergy.

My private notes

Cook & print

Start Cook Mode

Recipe info

Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 420 min
Servings: 4

Rate this recipe

Made this recipe?

Collections

Add to meal plan

Ingredients

Recipe serves 4

Adjust servings

Cooking time may not change in direct proportion to serving size.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
750 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 cm chunks
1 large brown onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons plain flour
500 ml chicken or vegetable stock
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato purée
250 g carrots, cut into thick slices
100 g dried apricots, halved
100 g pearl barley, rinsed
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper

Find recipes using similar ingredients

DadTheFoodiewww.dadthefoodie.com

Slow cooker

Tags: Slow cooker, Pork, Family dinner, One-pot, Pearl barley, Apricots, Freezer friendly

Slow Cooker Pork, Apricot and Pearl Barley Stew

Name: Slow Cooker Pork, Apricot and Pearl Barley Stew
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 420 min
Total time: 445 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 750 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 cm chunks; 1 large brown onion, finely sliced; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 2 tablespoons plain flour; 500 ml chicken or vegetable stock; 400 g tin chopped tomatoes; 2 tablespoons tomato purée; 250 g carrots, cut into thick slices; 100 g dried apricots, halved; 100 g pearl barley, rinsed; 1 bay leaf; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste; ½ teaspoon black pepper

Tender pork shoulder, sweet dried apricots and pearl barley make this warming slow cooker stew a filling family supper. Carrots and a gently spiced tomato stock give it a rich, comforting flavour without relying on hot chilli.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 7 hrs
Total: 7 hr 25 min
Servings: 4

Equipment

Slow-cooker size: 3.5 litre

3.5 litre slow cooker
Large frying pan
Wooden spoon
Chopping board and sharp knife

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
750 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 cm chunks
1 large brown onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons plain flour
500 ml chicken or vegetable stock
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato purée
250 g carrots, cut into thick slices
100 g dried apricots, halved
100 g pearl barley, rinsed
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt, plus extra to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper

Substitutions

Pork shoulder → Boneless pork loin or pork leg, cut into large chunks (Pork shoulder gives the most tender result, but leaner cuts can be used; check them a little earlier.)
Pearl barley → Pearl couscous added for the final 30 minutes of cooking (Do not add pearl couscous at the beginning as it can become overly soft.)
Dried apricots → Dried dates or pitted prunes (Use the same weight and chop larger pieces in half.)
Fresh parsley → 2 teaspoons dried parsley (Add the dried parsley with the other dried spices.)

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Season the pork with half the salt and the black pepper, then brown it in batches for 5–7 minutes, turning until coloured on several sides. Transfer the pork to the slow cooker.
Reduce the heat under the frying pan. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes until beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander and cinnamon and cook for 30 seconds.
Sprinkle the flour into the pan and stir for 1 minute. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring to lift any browned bits from the base. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato purée, bring just to a simmer, then pour the sauce into the slow cooker.
Add the carrots, dried apricots, rinsed pearl barley and bay leaf to the slow cooker. Stir well so the pork and barley are covered by the liquid.
Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, or until the pork is tender and the pearl barley is cooked. Stir once halfway through if convenient, and add a splash of boiling water if the stew becomes thicker than you would like.
Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Leave the stew to stand for 10 minutes before serving; the barley will continue to thicken the sauce.
Serve in warmed bowls with crusty bread or steamed green vegetables.

Storage and leftovers

Freezer friendly: Yes

Suitable for batch cooking

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them in a covered container within two hours. Use within 3 days. The pearl barley will absorb more liquid as it stands, so add a little water or stock when reheating if needed. Defrost: Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat until piping hot throughout. Do not cook the stew from frozen in the slow cooker.

Reheat on the hob over a medium heat or in the microwave until piping hot throughout, stirring well. Add a splash of water or stock if the stew has thickened.

Use leftover stew as a filling for baked potatoes, or loosen it with extra stock to make a hearty soup.

Allergen information

Contains gluten from the plain flour and pearl barley. Use gluten-free flour and certified gluten-free stock if required, although pearl barley itself is not gluten-free.

Always check ingredient packaging and labels if you or someone you are cooking for has an allergy.

Slow Cooker Pork, Apricot and Pearl Barley Stew

Instructions

Equipment needed

Swaps and substitutions

Storage and leftovers

Allergen information

My private notes

Slow Cooker Pork, Apricot and Pearl Barley Stew

Equipment

Ingredients

Substitutions

Instructions

Storage and leftovers

Allergen information

Community comments

Share how your recipe turned out