Inspiration
This recipe for Pork and Squash Stew is my Instant Pot-loving / Kaleifornian take on the Pork and Pumpkin Stew from Burma SuperStar, one of our all-time favorite spots in San Francisco. They’ve had a cult following for nearly 20 years, and I highly recommend a visit (or to their sister restaurant B Star) if you ever have the chance. Be sure to get the Tea Leaf Salad if you do! Their food is full of flavor and bold spices combined with bright herbs and fresh veggies.
What I love about this stew
It’s healthy, comforting and full of incredible flavor. Each serving includes a big dose of health-boosting winter squash and some of the most powerful superfoods out there: garlic, ginger, and turmeric. This Pork and Squash Stew is also Paleo, Gluten-Free, and Whole 30 compliant.
Cooking method
Using an Instant Pot saves a lot of time, but you could certainly simmer this on the stovetop for 1-2 hours to get a similar result. Using a slow cooker to slowly break down the pork shoulder would also work.
Serve with…
Serve Pork and Squash stew on cauliflower rice (or whatever type of rice you’re into). Complete the meal with my quick Asian Sesame Slaw.
Ingredients
- 1 medium-large winter squash, chopped into 1″ cubes – kabocha (skin on is fine) or butternut (peeled).
- 1 large boneless pork shoulder (usually about 2.5 lbs) , chopped into 1″ cubes
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 head of garlic, finely minced – about 1/4 cup
- 1 large knob of ginger, grated – about 1/2 cup
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- ~2 teaspoons coarse salt, no more than 3/4 teaspoon per lb of meat
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- Optional garnish: mint, cilantro, lime
Directions
- Combine pork, onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, salt, and curry powder. Let the pork sit in this marinade for at least 20-30 mins – up to 24 hours.
- Turn on the Saute setting of your instant pot and sear the mixture for about 5 mins, stirring frequently to keep from burning.
- Add water and fish sauce. Switch to Pressure Cook and set for 20 mins.
- After the 20 mins pressure cook, manually release, then add squash to the pot. Pressure cook for 1 more minute.
- Taste broth and adjust flavor (fish sauce and salt) if needed. Garnish with mint, cilantro or lime if you have it!
Instant Pot Pork and Squash Stew (inspired by the Pork Stew from Burma SuperStar)
Ingredients
- 1 medium-large winter squash, chopped into 1″ cubes (about 1–1.5 lbs) – kabocha (skin on is fine) or butternut squash (peeled since that skin is thicker and more waxy).
- 1 large boneless pork shoulder (usually about 2.5 lbs) , chopped into 1″ cubes
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 head of garlic, finely minced – about 1/4 c
- 1 large knob of ginger, grated – about 1/2 c
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- ~2 teaspoons coarse salt, no more than 3/4 teaspoon per lb of meat
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- Optional garnish: mint, cilantro, lime
Instructions
- Combine pork, onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, salt, and curry powder. Let the pork sit in this marinade for at least 20-30 mins – up to 24 hours.
- Turn on the Saute setting of your instant pot and sear the mixture for about 5 mins, stirring frequently to keep from burning.
- Add water and fish sauce. Switch to Pressure Cook and set for 20 mins.
- After the 20 mins pressure cook, manually release, then add squash to the pot. Pressure cook for 1 more minute.
- Taste broth and adjust flavor (fish sauce and salt) if needed. Garnish with mint, cilantro or lime if you have it!
Notes
- You can make this stew with kabocha squash, butternut squash, or pumpkin. Cubed, frozen squash works fine too.
- This is traditionally about a 1:2 ratio of squash to pork. If you’re a veggie lover with a large squash on hand, this absolutely works with equal parts squash and meat.
There are only two of us, so I cut the recipe in half. I used locally grown Seminole pumpkin and grated fresh turmeric. It turned out great. I served it with white rice (next time I will use brown rice). I will add this to my list of easy and flavorful instant pot recipes.
★★★★★
Thank you so much for sharing, Bill! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And your comment means a lot to me. Thank you for trusting me with your dinner 🙂
What is a c? Cup?
Yes! I’ve updated it to say “cup” for clarity. Thanks for pointing this out!
This was so flavorful and delicious! Next time I would reduce the water to 1 cup but would otherwise make exactly as written. Super easy weeknight dinner to prep the night before. Even my young kids liked it (though full disclosure, I used sweet curry powder and served the pork, squash, and jasmine rice in separate and very distinct piles).
★★★★★
Thank you for trying this out and for sharing this review! I’m so glad the whole family enjoyed it and I can see how less water would work well if it’s served in this way and less of a stew. Great idea! Ok, thinking about this so much makes me want to add this to my plan for the weekend 🙂