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You are here: Home » Pork » Pork Stew with Purslane

Pork Stew with Purslane

Published: Jun 6, 2019 · Updated: Oct 24, 2019 by Mely Martínez

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This Pork Stew with Purslane is a delicious way to introduce your family to this nutritious succulent plant! Purslane is loaded with lots of minerals, nutrients and Omega 3's!

Pork Stew with Purslane

Pork stew with purslane served with riceThe botanical name for Purslane is Portulaca oleracea, and in Spanish, we call it “Verdolagas”. It is considered by many as a weed that grows in the wild. Indeed, it is effortless to grow it yourself, and it thrives during the summer months.

Many people have this plant growing in their backyard without knowing that they’re missing out on the many benefits of this plant, including a significant amount of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, B, and C, and several minerals including magnesium, potassium, and calcium!

pork stew with purslane serve with rice and peas

HOW DOES PURSLANE TASTE?

When people ask me to describe the flavor of purslane, I actually have a hard time describing it because the taste is too mild. You could say that it’s somewhere between the taste of green beans and spinach, having just a light bitterness. Whichever way you cook it, it will enhance the flavors of the dish.

Some people only use the leaves and tender parts of the plant for salads, while others also include the stems of the mature plant to add to soups and stews, like this Pork Stew with Purslane. For this recipe, I’m adding the whole plant, stems and leaves included.

purslane plantas or weeds. Purslane is consumed in many Mediterranean countries like Greece and Turkey, where it is used in stews and even as a filling for some turnovers called “Borek”. It is believed that Purslane has its origins in India, where it is called “luni-bhaji”, and is used for curries and soups.

HOW TO GROW PURSLANE?

To grow purslane in your vegetable garden, you can either purchase the seeds online or transplant small plants of purslane. This is what I did when I moved to my current home. I found a couple of small purslane plants growing in one corner of the backyard, and transplanted them into my vegetable beds. They propagate quickly, and don’t require too much care. You will enjoy their production from late spring to almost the early fall season.

home grown purslane plants

Freshly cut Purslane from my vegetable garden.

Other recipes with Purslane:

  • Steamed Purslane
  • Pork chops with tomatillo sauce and purslane
  • Chicken with vegetables and purslane

How to make Pork Stew with Purslane

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 SERVINGS

  • 1 lb. pork shoulder or butt meat
  • ½ cup of water
  • 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 13 oz. tomatoes
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 jalapeño pepper
  • ½ cup white onion, chopped
  • 6 oz. Purslane (about 2 cups)
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 sprig of cilantro
  • 2 Epazote leaves (optional)

NOTES:

  • * If you don’t find Epazote leaves, just add an extra spring of cilantro.
  • ** You can use other cuts of pork meat, but keep in mind that the cooking times will vary depending on the cut.

DIRECTIONS:

Steps to cook pork with purslane.

  1. Season the meat with salt and place in a medium-size saucepan or skillet, then cover with water and add the bay leaf. Turn the heat to medium-high, and once the water starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and keep cooking until all the liquid has reduced (about 15 minutes).
  2. While the meat is cooking, roast the tomatoes, jalapeño pepper, and garlic clove on a hot griddle. Make sure you remove the garlic clove promptly (since it will get roasted quickly) and peel it. Turn over the tomatoes and pepper, in order to roast them on all sides.
  3. Remove the tomatoes and jalapeño pepper from the griddle, and place them in your blender along with the garlic clove. Process until you have a sauce. You do not need to add water to this sauce, as the purslane is almost 90% water, and it will release a lot of liquid when you add it in step 5. Once you’re done blending, set the sauce aside.

Steps to cook Pork stew with purslane instrucciones -1

  1. Add 2 tbsp. of oil to the skillet with the meat (all the liquid should be reduced by now) and continue cooking. Stir the meat to allow an even browning. Once the meat has browned, stir in the chopped onion and cook for 2 more minutes until it is transparent.
  2. Pour the blended sauce into the skillet, and add the purslane, cilantro, and epazote as well. Season with salt and pepper and continue to simmer gently until the meat is very tender, about 10-15 minutes. To serve, spoon the pork and purslane stew onto a plate. You can add rice to make it a whole meal. Enjoy!

Pork stew with purslane in tomato sauce served with rice

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Pork Stew with Purslane!

pork stew with purslane - 3

PORK STEW WITH PURSLANE

Mely Martínez - Mexico in my Kitchen
This Pork Stew with Purslane is a delicious way to introduce your family to this nutritious succulent plant! Purslane is loaded with lots of minerals, nutrients and Omega 3’s!
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Add to Collection Go to Collections
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Pork
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4
Calories 244 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb. pork shoulder or butt meat
  • ½ cup of water
  • 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 13 oz. tomatoes
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 jalapeño pepper
  • ½ cup white onion chopped
  • 6 oz. Purslane about 2 cups
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 sprig of cilantro
  • 2 Epazote leaves optional

Instructions
 

  • Season the meat with salt and place in a medium-size saucepan or skillet, then cover with water and add the bay leaf. Turn the heat to medium-high, and once the water starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and keep cooking until all the liquid has reduced (about 15 minutes).
  • While the meat is cooking, roast the tomatoes, jalapeño pepper, and garlic clove on a hot griddle. Make sure you remove the garlic clove promptly (since it will get roasted quickland peel it. Turn over the tomatoes and pepper, in order to roast them on all sides.
  • Remove the tomatoes and jalapeño pepper from the griddle, and place them in your blender along with the garlic clove. Process until you have a sauce. You do not need to add water to this sauce, as the purslane is almost 90% water, and it will release a lot of liquid when you add it in step Once you’re done blending, set the sauce aside.
  • Add 2 tbsp. of oil to the skillet with the meat (all the liquid should be reduced by noand continue cooking. Stir the meat to allow an even browning. Once the meat has browned, stir in the chopped onion and cook for 2 more minutes until it is transparent.
  • Pour the blended sauce into the skillet, and add the purslane, cilantro, and epazote as well. Season with salt and pepper and continue to simmer gently until the meat is very tender about 10-15 minutes. To serve, spoon the pork and purslane stew onto a plate. You can add rice to make it a whole meal. Enjoy!
  • I hope you enjoy this recipe for Pork Stew with Purslane!

Notes

* If you don’t find Epazote leaves, just add an extra spring of cilantro.
** You can use other cuts of pork meat, but keep in mind that the cooking times will vary depending on the cut.

Nutrition

Calories: 244kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 28gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 102mgPotassium: 913mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 4795IUVitamin C: 30.4mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 2.4mg
Keyword PORK STEW WITH PURSLANE
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Margarita

    June 18, 2019 at 9:08 am

    Is the purslane used whole or are stems removed and only leaves used?

    Reply
    • mmartinez

      June 18, 2019 at 1:17 pm

      Hello Margarita,
      If the Purslane stems are tender and thin you can use the whole thing for stews or other dishes. For salads, only use the tender stems or just the leaves.

      Reply
  2. Chuck

    September 12, 2019 at 8:38 pm

    5 stars
    I've been growing upright purslane in my garden since spring. It has turned into monstrous plants and I finally found time to make this. The combination of cooking methods really brings out the flavours in the food. It was really fantastic, another of your recipes to be made again and again. It is as good with warm tortillas as it would be with rice.

    Reply
    • mmartinez

      September 13, 2019 at 9:17 am

      Hello Chuck,
      It is so nice to know you are taking advantage of the purslane growing in your garden. It can also be added to soups and other stew.
      Enjoy!

      Reply

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Mexico in my kitchen | Mely Martinez

Hi, I'm Mely Martinez, a former Mexican school teacher, home cook, and food blogger. I moved to the United States about ten years ago, after living in Mexico my whole life. Now I love to share home-style recipes for authentic Mexican food.

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