Last night, when I finally decided that 11 hours was enough, I stopped by the store on the way “home” (I am staying with a friend).  I wanted to pick up some chunks of pork.

My nearby HEB supermarke’s butcher has begun an interesting bit of marketing.  They take all the chunks left over after trimming and package them up.  They usually go for $1.69 a pound or something like that.  You can grill them or stew them or whatever.

I wanted brown and roast some.  I was up for some crusty, juicy meat.   There was none.

I was tired and got a bit grouchy when my mission failed.  So, I guess I was noticing little things more than usual.  I had no cart.  Two clueless and/or totally inconsiderate people had their carts up together and were chatting away, all but completely blocking the way.  Another women with a cart filled the void.  I pulled short and waited for her to pass.  She stopped.  She asked an employee where the bathrooms were, got her answer and was off like a shot to the bathroom, leaving her cart behind.  The employee and I looked at each other in disbelief and cleared the cart out of the way.

Damn, I was thinking.  This place seems crowded tonight.  I continued to bump and spin and reach around people pushing in front of me or blocking the way.   I was weary of it all.

Why, I asked myself, are there so damn many people here?

I kid you not, it took awhile to sink in.

Ya think it had something to do with Thanksgiving?  I’d completely forgotten it was upon us, despite the inordinate amount of turkeys on display.

Castano Stew

2 lb.’s diced pork
1 lg onion chopped
1 tbls olive oil
1 lg garlic clove
1 serrano pepper
1 lg red bell pepper
2 tbs comino (yes, two tablespoons)
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tbs chili powder
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes (or the equivalent fresh if you like dicing tomatoes)
28 oz water
4 med diced, sweet potatoes
2 chunky sliced carrots
16 oz can pinto
15 oz can black
1 lb frozen corn
Once you’ve got the peppers roasted, you have another decision to make, based mostly on the equipment available. If there’s a food processor or blender handy, pop them into that and puree them. You can slice them fine. You can use a mortor and pestle. You can take them outside and pound them with a brick on the sidewalk (just kidding).

Now, the pork. I first made this using the big, thick “country” style pork ribs. I have used pork roast. Price determines my choice more than anything else. If there are bones, take them out. Also, if there are bones, guestimate their weight when you buy the meat. I trim as much fat as possible.
Put the oil into your stew pan. Heat the onions and garlic slowly until they are clear.
Dump in the meat and brown it. When the meat starts to brown, I usually throw all the dry seasonings in at that point. The meat is coated and the spices get a bit of browning as well. Be careful. We’re not going for blackened pork here.
Now, you can throw in the can of tomatoes. Fill up the can with water and pour that into the pot. Bring it to a boil.
Add the potatoes and carrots. Let them cook for about 15 minutes.
Now, add your cans of beans, juice and all. You can cook up the beans, if you wish. I do not know why you would want to do that. However, you are welcome to it. If you’ve got some leftover, home-cooked beans, I’d certainly use those.
Once the potatoes and carrots are almost done, add the frozen corn. Well, you can add it whenever you want. Waiting might keep the kernels from getting tough.
Serve it up in bowls with tortillas or cornbread.