A new stew for a nasty winter night

[Dave Grubb]

On tap for dinner tonight, I have not made this before---but it sounds good

Three Sisters Stew
SAM SIFTON
• Time1 hour 40 minutes
• Yield8 servings


Matt Mead, the governor of Wyoming, recalls being taken out by his grandfather on the family ranch to shoot his first duck for Thanksgiving at age 9, when he was so small that his grandfather had to brace him from behind to help absorb the kick from the shotgun.
Game is found on many Thanksgiving tables in the state, but other traditions predate the hunt. The trinity of corn, beans and squash was central to the agriculture of the Plains Indians in what would later become Wyoming, and some cooks honor that history each Thanksgiving with a dish called Three Sisters stew. The writer Pamela Sinclair’s version is a highlight of her 2008 cookbook, “A Taste of Wyoming: Favorite Recipes From the Cowboy State.” The stew works nicely as a rich side dish for turkey, and can easily be adapted to vegetarian tastes by omitting the pork and adding a pound of cubed butternut squash instead.

INGREDIENTS
• 1 pound trimmed pork loin, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Kosher salt, as needed
• Black pepper, as needed
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups turkey or chicken stock, preferably homemade or low-sodium
• 1 medium yellow squash, diced
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
• 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 (4-ounce) can roasted green chiles (1/2 cup)
• ½ bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• Nutritional Information
o Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
370 calories; 13 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 22 grams protein; 39 milligrams cholesterol; 485 milligrams sodium

PREPARATION
1. Season pork with cumin, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add pork, in batches if necessary, and cook, turning as needed, until lightly browned on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer pork to a bowl and set aside.
2. Add onion to pan and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly colored, 2 to 3 minutes. Return pork to pan, along with stock and squash, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.
3. Add beans, tomatoes, corn and chiles and cook, uncovered, over medium heat until stew has thickened, about 40 minutes. Add cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper.

I can tell you there will be no letting the pig off the hook in my version of this stew

[Dave Grubb]

I had to reschedule---now on the menu for tonight---and a very cold night it will be.

Last night ended up being steamed little neck clams (50) and 24 jumbo wild caught Red Shrimp (Argentina), French fries and homemade coleslaw.

I will not buy farm raised shrimp----most of which come from Indochina. The conditions they are grown under are disgusting, they make tilapia seem like health food---another farm raised offering.

I am aware that Red Shrimp are on Sea Food Watch's "Avoid" list because of potential by-catch issues and so when I can, I stick with US Atlantic and Gulf wild caught shrimp. I also prefer to buy fresh anything---but having a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer can come in handy

[Dave Grubb]

We had it

I would recommend this to anyone and will repeat this again. I followed the recipe above almost entirely. The only changes that I made came about after taste testing. I added about 2 Tbsp. of Worchester Sauce and 2 tsp. of Fish Sauce which brightened it up nicely.

I used hatch green chilies in the pot and then added my own hot pepper mix at the table. My wife was most complimentary

A little background on this that I found interesting:

Three sisters so-called because Native Americans interplanted corn, beans and squash in the same mound. The 3 thrive together because corn provides a natural pole for the beans to climb, the beans fix nitrogen in the soil, and the squash leaves shade the ground to prevent the growth of weeds.