Smoky Hickory Barbecue Pork Stew

Barbecued (BBQ) food is a favorite for millions of people in the USA and all across the world.
When you think of BBQ, most people think of burgers, ribs, brisket, steaks, or chicken. Plus there are all kinds of different of barbecue sauces you can put on just about anything. But did you ever think of trying a BBQ stew? If not, today is your lucky day. That’s because not only is this BBQ stew as tasty as it looks and sounds, this recipe is also healthy, low in fat, sugar free, and mega high in protein. Sound impossible? It’s not. Here’s how:

Pork is one of the meats most associated with BBQ. Many fitness-minded people think that pork is too high in fat and calories to fit into their type of diet. However, pork is similar to beef in the way that some cuts are leaner than others. Some types of pork are almost as lean as chicken breast.

Until the time I first made this stew, the only pork recipes I made used lean tenderloin. Tenderloin is a long, narrow cut of meat (like a tube). With only 4 grams of fat in 4 ounces, it’s the leanest type you can get. One day when I was shopping, I had intended to grab a tenderloin, but right next to the tenderloin, I accidentally noticed something called boneless center cut pork loin. The price/barcode label also said, “half loin roast.”

It was wider than a tenderloin and weighed just over 3 pounds. I was going to buy a tenderloin, but then I looked at the back label of the center cut pork loin and it said there were only 6 grams of fat in 4 ounces, with 24 grams of protein. It was almost as lean as tenderloin. (I later confirmed that in the USDA food data base).

Then I looked at the price. It was only $2.34 per pound. The total price: $7.61 for 3 pounds of lean protein! I was sold! In the cart it went. I later found that it goes on sale sometimes for $1.99. I felt like I hit the jackpot, especially after looking at beef prices. (The same day in the same store, I saw flank steak priced at $12.32 per pound. For 2.47 lbs it was $30.43!)

Boneless pork loin was now on the menu! But what to cook? Well, at the end of the year I had promised members I would add several new stew recipes to the Burn the Fat recipe collection. I had been researching pork stew recipes and came across many. Most called for pork shoulder, which is also a fairly lean cut, and is commonly used to make pulled pork.

But most of these recipes were like regular beef stew. I decided to try something completely different than just use pork in the same beef stew we already have in our recipe library. I decided to make “hickory smoked BBQ” pork stew.

I used the whole 3 pounds (half a loin) in one huge batch. I also decided to make it in the slow cooker instead of on the stovetop. This makes sense because most people consider pork loin a tough cut, but if you give it at least 8 hours in the slow cooker, it turns out tender and moist and you can shred it fairly easily.

So there we have the protein, and when using that entire half loin and dividing this batch into 8 servings, you get 42 grams of it. If you divide the batch into only 6 servings you get a whopping 56 grams of protein! If you don’t need or want that much protein, you can always chop off a chunk of the loin and use it for something else later. Me, I love having recipes in my repertoire that are mega high in protein and this is one of them.

Burn the Fat recipes always include a lot of vegetables, including starchy vegetables. In this case, the starchy carbs include a can of pinto beans, and a can of corn. The fibrous carbs include a cup of yellow onion, and a can of diced tomatoes (I used the fire-roasted diced tomatoes for extra flavor).

We also add a small can of green chiles. I used the mild ones, but if you want some heat, feel free to use hotter chiles. Poblano chiles would be a great alternative. Poblanos are not that hot compared to jalapeños, but they add a little heat and are also known for adding a smoky flavor.

Speaking of flavor, the magic ingredient is a cup of hickory BBQ sauce. I used G Hughes because, well, it tastes amazing. But even better, it’s sugar free and has only 5 calories per tablespoon. Don’t have any G Hughes Hickory? Can’t find it? No worries, use any BBQ sauce you like – it’s still going to taste great.

For smoke flavor if you choose, you can add a dash of Liquid Smoke. Colgin’s brand has a Hickory flavor. This is optional, but I recommend it. Go easy on it because it’s very concentrated. I used only used 2 teaspoons at first. Taste test your stew before you decide if you want to use more.

Another optional ingredient is apple cider vinegar. One or two teaspoons adds a little bit of tang to your stew and it’s a good match for BBQ pork.

Of course the liquid base for your stew is broth (or stock). You can use either chicken or beef. I used chicken broth. Use the reduced sodium type if you want to keep the sodium in check. (Same thing for the canned vegetables and beans).

The seasonings include salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. (You can see now why I called this “Smoked Hickory BBQ Pork stew”). These seasonings are rubbed right on the pork and then you sear the meat in a large skillet before adding it to the slow cooker. This step is not mandatory, but I recommend it, and it’s almost always done when making traditional pulled pork.

You’ll want to give this at least 8 hours in the slow cooker on low, but you can leave it for 9 hours or even for 10 if you want to get the pork even more tender and the flavors to mingle with the meat even more. Either way, around 7.5 hours or so, you’ll want to transfer the chunks of pork (you cut the half loin into 4 pieces after searing it) to a cutting board (or tray or large bowl) and then shred it or break it into pieces. It then goes back in the slow cooker a little longer to reheat evenly and soak up the liquid.

In addition to seasoning the pork directly before searing, you may also want to add more seasoning to the stew, but I recommend you taste test it first. If you used no sodium canned goods and no sodium broth, it will taste a little bland and you’ll almost certainly want more salt, and you might want to add more pepper or smoked paprika. If you use reduced sodium or regular broth, tomatoes, beans, and corn, you may not need any extra salt or seasoning.

This is one of our newest Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle stews, but based on member surveys, it’s already one of the most popular. I loved it from the first batch. I also served it to family and it was a hit with everyone.

Pork stews can be found all over the internet, and in countless cookbooks, but most of them are just like regular beef stew, with carrots, potatoes, celery, and so on, only it’s pork not beef. I’ve never seen a stew quite like this one with the smoky hickory BBQ flavors. This is a Tom Venuto / Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle original.

Give it a try and let me know what you think. It’s a huge batch that will leave you leftovers even for a family of 4, or you’ll have stew for yourself for days and days and days.

Enjoy!

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About Tom Venuto, The No-BS Fat Loss Coach
Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilding and fat loss expert. He is also a recipe creator specializing in fat-burning, muscle-building cooking. Tom is a former competitive bodybuilder and today works as a full-time fitness coach, writer, blogger, and author. In his spare time, he is an avid outdoor enthusiast and backpacker. His book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle is an international bestseller, first as an ebook and now as a hardcover and audiobook. The Body Fat Solution, Tom’s book about emotional eating and long-term weight maintenance, was an Oprah Magazine and Men’s Fitness Magazine pick. Tom is also the founder of Burn The Fat Inner Circle – a fitness support community with over 52,000 members worldwide since 2006. Click here for membership details