Reader’s Comment: This is truly divine….. if anyone is looking for a recipe to try, this it it! It falls apart it’s so tender and the flavour is so delicious.
Last year I read an excellent book called “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles. One of the meals the gentleman ate was a Latvian Stew which was described in this way: “the onions thoroughly caramelized, the pork slowly braised, and the apricots briefly stewed, the three ingredients came together in a sweet and smoky medley that simultaneously suggested the comfort of a snowed-in tavern and the jangle of a Gypsy tambourine.” If that doesn’t make you hungry, nothing will. It sure made me hungry and set me on a quest for Latvian Stew.
After a search of Latvian stew recipes, it became apparent that there is no one tried and true recipe. Everyone adds a special ingredient or leaves out one or two, or just comes up with something totally different. However, the ingredients that are consistent throughout are the pork, dried apricots and some specific spices. After that, the recipes seemed to be open to the whims their creators.
Unfortunately, none of the recipes I found seemed to fit the description of a Latvian stew from the book nor the one I had formed in my head. Therefore, I decided to pick and choose my own ingredients to try to develop the stew that I had imagined. And here it is. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
NOTE: See the book review at the bottom of this post.
Latvian Stew – Braised Pork with Dried Apricots
Comment from a subscriber: “My husband has declared that this is the best stew he’s ever eaten (and he’s eaten some good stuff!).”
A comforting stew of beer braised pork, caramelized onion, carrots and dried apricots that satisfies all of the senses. If you have time, let it rest overnight in the refrigerator. It's even better the second day.
"*" See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
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- 2 pound pork shoulder*, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 – 1.5” cubes (3 – 3.5 pound bone-in pork shoulder)
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 large onion, halved, thickly sliced then halved again
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
- 3 medium carrots, thickly sliced diagonally
- ½ tsp. red chile flakes* (Urfa or Aleppo flakes)
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. Sweet Hungarian Paprika
- ½ tsp. crushed and ground coriander seeds
- ½ tsp. crushed dried oregano
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 cup dark beer (porter or stout)
- 2 – 3 cups water (See instructions below)
- 1 cup dried apricots, halved
- 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
- Crusty Bread / baguette as a side
If using bone-in shoulder, remove the bone. Trim the visible fat from the pork and cut into large chunks. Sprinkle generously with salt/pepper.
Heat half of the olive oil and half the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium low heat.
When the sizzling on the butter starts to slow down, turn up the heat to medium. Add the pork pieces and brown on 2 sides, about a 1 – 2 minutes per side. You should do this in 2 to 3 batches to keep from overcrowding the pot. Add more oil and butter as needed.
Transfer browned pork pieces to a bowl.
- Start preheating oven to 350°F.
- Add the onions and garlic to the Dutch oven and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook the onion for 20 – 30 minutes stirring occasionally until the onions start to caramelize (darken). If the onion starts to brown on the edge, turn the heat down a bit.
- Once the onion is a rich brown, add the chile flakes, cinnamon, paprika, coriander, oregano. Stir for 1 minute. Return heat to medium.
- Add the beer and deglaze the pot. Stir in the tomato paste.
Return the pork pieces to the pot with any liquid that has accumulated in the bowl.
Add 2 cups water.
Add the carrots and half of the apricots. Stir to incorporate. Liquid should be a little below the top of the ingredients as shown below. Add more water if needed. Spread the rest of the apricots on top.
Cover and transfer to oven.
Bake for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and check meat by using 2 forks to gently pull apart a chunk of pork. The meat is done when the piece easily separates. If meat is not pull apart tender, you’ll need to cook another 30 minutes. But before returning to the oven…
check the liquid level. The liquid should have decreased and started to thicken. If you can’t see any liquid then add ½ cup of water. At the end of 1 ½ hours you want the liquid thick and flavorful so, if it doesn’t need more liquid, then don’t add it. If needed, cover and cook an additional 30 minutes.
Just before serving, stir in parsley. Serve in large bowls with a crusty baguette.
Pork Shoulder – Pork shoulder or pork butt is always the best cut for braising, so don’t be tempted to replace with pork loin.
Servings – 2 pounds of trimmed pork provides 4 generous servings. If you need 6 servings, use 3 pounds of trimmed pork and increase all of the ingredients by 50%.
Red chile flakes – If you don’t have Aleppo or Urfa flake, then use what you have. With only 1/2 teaspoon, you are not going to get any heat, but the flavor of the red chile combines well with the other spices to create a depth of flavor.
Cooking in a Crock Pot – Based on feedback, you can cook this stew in a crock pot – 4 hours on high.
Leftovers – Since it’s just the two of us, we easily get two meals from this. For the second meal, if I don’t have bread, I’ll serve it over a creamy polenta (with no cheese).
Book Review: “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles.
“A Gentleman in Moscow” begins in 1922 and is about a young count, Rostov, who is sentenced by the Bolshevik tribunal to life imprisonment in the Metropol, a grand hotel across from the Kremlin. His crime – writing a politically incorrect poem. The only reason he wasn’t taken out and shot was that he was considered by some to be one of the “heroes of the prerevolutionary cause”. As his punishment he is forced to live out his life in the attic of the hotel, but with access to most every place inside the hotel. He can receive guests and can interact with the hotel guests. He can hang out in the lobby and eat at the hotel restaurants, but he can’t step one foot outside of the hotel or he will be shot.
Rostov takes his punishment in stride and seems to make the best of it, because he really has no other choice. The story evolves as he interacts with the people working at the hotel, hotel guests, and visitors. Much of what is happening outside the hotel is brought inside by various people and shared with Rostov who is a great listener and of course, quite curious about what he is missing.
As you can see, the book is more than about a guy eating Latvian stew. It’s actually an historical novel of a turbulent time in Russian history. It was the one of the best book I read in 2017; therefore, I highly recommend it.
Now that I’ve teased your palate with this Latvian Stew and provided a little background, let me tease it a few more tasty stews:
Mafe – African Stew 
Seafood Bisque 
Thai Shrimp Green Curry
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I’ve made this stew 3 times and read the book the same number. The women in my family are not fans of red pepper flakes so I cheated and minced a tiny bit of fresh ginger to add spiciness. I don’t trim the pork as it seems to be more flavorful with the fat. Red parsley potatoes are a must as a side. For the person with the leftover 4 oz of beer, gargle with it if it’s too early to drink!
Ed, Thank you so much for your comment! Great idea to substitute the pepper lakes with with ginger. Oh yes, trimming the fat is a very personal choice. I know a lot people who never trim the fat for carne adovada and posole. I keep it and toss it into stocks for flavor, but I’ve never been a fan of biting into a piece of fat. Oh I do love the idea of the red parsley potatoes as a side. I’ll remember that! My husband is retired so he doesn’t hesitate to drink the remaining beer at 10 a.m, 🙂 Cheers, MJ
A Latvian here! While the recipe sounds delicious (and I’m sure it is), this stew is not an authentic Latvian dish. Stews are very common, just not with apricots.
Thank you so much for your comment! This recipe was the result of the book “A Gentleman in Moscow” which describes a Latvian Stew with apricots in the book. It sounded fabulous and was. I did find some “Latvian stews” with prunes and some with both prunes and apricots. So it’s good to know from you, a Latvian, that apricots are not common. Thanks for the information and for stopping by.
A Gentleman in Moscow also brought me here and I’ll try the recipe today.
I see from your profile picture that you have the exact same Breslauer dish pattern that we do! That makes me feel at home on your site right away.
Thank you so much Ann Marie! I hope you enjoy the stew. Please let me know. Cheers, MJ
I made this in the instant pot, cooking for 4 hours with the bone in, no need to cut afterwards, the meat fell apart…but so did the carrots and apricots! 🙂 Of course! My mistake. Next time I would reserve 1/2 the carrots and apricots, and add these at the end and cook until tender before serving.
Britta, Thanks so much for your comment. I’ve never used an instant pot so I don’t know if it cooks at a higher temperature than 350F or not. If so, then 4 hours is a very long time and yes, the carrots and apricots will fall apart and lose flavor. Next time I would advise cutting the time half or adding all of the carrots and apricots after 2 hours. Braising in the oven for 1.5 hours , they get tender and maintain their flavor. Hope you do try this again. Thanks again for commenting. Happy Holidays!
Looking forward to making this!
In “A Gentleman In Moscow” his crime isn’t writing a politically incorrect poem – its the poem that saves him. His crime is being an aristocrat. Please correct.
Thanks.
I, too, was searching for a recipe for Latvian Stew after reaching about in The Gentleman From Moscow. First I found the author’s (Amor Towles) recipe but thought it did not contain enough spices. Then I found yours and made it last night served with a fresh home baked crusty bread. OMG… it was fabulous!!! My husband and two friends agreed. The only thing I changed was to add another tbsp of tomato paste and a bit of salt to the sauce. I know I will make this again and again.
Diane, Thank you so much for your comment! I’m thrilled that you, family and friends enjoyed the recipe. It’s definitely a keeper and one that I cook regularly during the cold months. A little extra tomato paste was a good idea. Sometimes the braising sauce gets a little thin so the extra paste is a good idea. Thanks again for your nice comments. Happy Holidays!!! Cheers, MJ
I found my way to you through the novel also! This was absolutely delicious. The flavor combinations are complex and wonderful. My husband is making some delicious hot sandwiches with the leftovers. The only thing I changed was to leave the pork shoulder whole through the entire process and sliced after it was finished. It was perfect. Thanks!
Gail, I’m thrilled that y’all enjoyed this dish and that you were able to find the recipe after reading the novel! Good idea to leave the shoulder whole and then slice it. Bet that makes great sandwiches. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for your comments! Cheers, MJ
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Not surprising that I am reading the same book which leads me to your recipe. I usually stop reading a book at the point where the author introduce a dish that interests me. That’s a lot of fun to find flavor from a book. Thanks for sharing!! Will try this stew later!
Thanks for your comment! Great books and great stew. Like you, the description of the dish stayed with me, so I just had to make it. Hope you do get a chance to make it. I’ve had some great feedback on the recipe.
I just popped this in the oven for a Latvian stew party with Mukuzani wine( I found it in a russian Ukrainian grocery store in San Francisco- I had quite a search for that special wine. So I added prunes too as I love prunes in Tagine as well. I also added a 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika. I just know it’s going to be a hit, the little browned bits of pork waiting to go in the pot we’re delicious, I couldn’t help my self. I’ll be overnighting it’s in the fridge to meld all those flavored. I was fortunate I had a bottle of Aleppo pepper as well. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for the wonderful comments Tim! I can smell it cooking and taste those flavors that tend to linger for a long time after eating. It’s a great stew and like you adjustments. A little smoked paprika is always a good addition to any dish. H0pe you are enjoying it today!
The author of “A Gentleman in
Moscow” has published a version of the recipe on line. It is somewhat a simpler than yours and has dates added to it. I made his version last night and I found it rather sweet. I think I will try your version next time as garlic and some extra spices might improve it,
Thanks for your comment Denise. I just checked out the recipe by the author and it is quite different from mine. The apricots and the prunes do seem to take it over the top in the sweetness. I find it plenty sweet with just the apricots. I’m also big on seasoning, thus the spices. I hope you try my recipe and that you finds it just what you imagined. 🙂
I am reading “A gentleman in Moscow” right now and my search for the stew lead me here. How funny that the same passage inspired you:)
Thanks Lana! Well, if you love food like we do, it’s those food passages that make us pause when reading a book. I could almost taste the stew from reading that passage. 🙂
I found your website while searching for the elusive “Latvian Stew” recipe from A Gentleman in Moscow. It was so nice to share that literary/foodie moment with you and so many others! I’ve made your Latvian stew recipe twice and both times it turned out fantastic. Both times I made in a crock pot and cooked about 4 hours on high. I also added the whole bottle of dark beer (12 oz) instead of 8 oz b/c what can one do with the other 4oz of beer in the morning?! I also liked a little more sweet in addition to the dried apricots and added a heaping spoonful (1/4 c.?) of apricot preserves. For extra smoky flavor I chopped and added one ancho pepper (canned in Adobo sauce). In the true “stew” tradition I also added things from the Northern Illinois garden including sweet potato, yellow potato, and delicada squash. I love the complexity of spices and followed yours exactly. My husband has declared that this is the best stew he’s ever eaten (and he’s eaten some good stuff!). I can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Lulu, thanks so much for stopping by and commenting! AND, thanks so much for letting me know that you tried the stew! That’s awesome! It does sound like you made a few changes, but that’s what us cook do..right? 🙂 Good to know about the crock pot cooking. I’m going to add a note about using the crock pot in my Kitchen Notes based on your feedback. I figured this would be a great crock pot dish, but since I don’t have one, I really couldn’t make a comment. All your additions sound fabulous! I especially like the addition of the ancho. My husband would probably protest the preserves because he doesn’t like savory dishes too sweet, but I would love it. 🙂 The first, second and third times I made this stew, my husband made the same declaration. Obviously we all have similar tastes. I do hope you try out more of my recipes. Look forward to hearing from you again and thanks again for your wonderful comment!
Not sure about pork and apricots – will have to try. Cheers
You’d be surprised Carol. I was hesitant at first too, but once I tried it, I feel in love with the combination.
What fun. Like your other fans, and you, I searched for a recipe in my own collection and then on the ‘net and found your page. We have a book club where we circulate 21 books and I’m the first this season to get A Gentleman In Moscow. I will NOT be making it for the the 21 members together but a four some will be perfect and I thank you.
Thanks so much for your comment Susan! I hope you and your book club enjoy the book. It’s still one of my favorites! This Latvian stew has also become one of my favorite. In fact, just last night we starting feeling the temperature drop into fall temps and my husband said – Latvian Stew time! 🙂 You’d have to make a BIG POT OF STEW for 21 people. Good idea to limit it to 4. 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
I am reading the book right now. After reading the description of the stew I literally just stopped and googled hoping for a recipe. 90+ degrees here right now, but this will be made as soon as the cold comes back. I can’t wait to try it.
How exciting is this! Thank you so much for commenting about your search. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did and I definitely hope that you find the stew to live up to the description in the book. Please stay in touch. Thanks again!
I just finished that book and also thoroughly enjoyed it. I would have loved reading it with a bowl of this stew in front of me. So who do you think was the woman he met at the end?
Thanks Abbe! That would have been fun to read the book while eating the stew. 🙂 I’m going to email you the answer to the question.
I love the quote MJ! You may have noticed I have a fondness for literary quotes… your quote had me drooling too. I have always been fond of meat/fruit combinations, and this Latvian Stew sounds amazing. Pinning for a cool evening to enjoy making it!
Yes, I have noticed. 🙂 I love reading a book and all of a sudden I want to go back and read a certain passage over and over again. Some writers just have the ability to place you in the moment. I love that!
So do you get “cool” evenings where you are? 🙂 Actually, I think south Texas had a colder winter than we did. Well, I hope you get a chance to make this and to read the book. Both are excellent!
While I might be familiar with the comfort of a snowed-in tavern, the jangle of a Gypsy tambourine is a wonderful surprise 😀 (how great is that?!). Thank you for the book review too – always happy to discover. So many interesting flavors going on in this recipe from the beer to the cinnamon to the apricot – I’m so intrigued! (and can understand how it would inspire poetry).
Thanks Kelly! I agree on how this is an inspiring dish. You know how sometimes you’ll make a dish and it’s just too wonderful to believe? So you make it again soon after, just to make sure it wasn’t a mistake. This is how this dish was. It was just as good the second time I made it as it was the first. And it is definitely a dish that gets better with time, so always make a big batch. 🙂
Such a nice hearty flavourful stew! I love a crusty bread to come with it so I can soak it in that lovely sauce
Thanks Raymund! Gotta have the crusty bread because you don’t want to miss a drop!
I have to search for the book, it sounds interesting. I love cooking recipes from the books I read as well, I always take notes and try to cook a few after I am finished with the book. The stew looks delicious!
Great book! Hope you enjoy it. Thanks!!
I made your version of the stew today. It got 3 thumbs way up. I like the use of pork, It isn’t as heavy as when I used beef or lamb. So “Brava” for using the books description to concoct such a delicious dish.
YAY!!! Thanks so much for letting me know!! So very glad that you all enjoyed it. XOXO
As I told you, I made a very large pot of this. We ate round 2 today and it was even better than the first day. I still have enough for one more meal for the 3 of us. We love it!!!
Totally agree about it being better the second day. Need to add that to the Kitchen Notes! Glad you’re still enjoying it! YAY!
Slightly sweet, spicy, cozy and delicious! All of our favorites in one bowl. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Thanks Bobbi! Hope you enjoy it!
I know nothing about Latvian food but I sure like the sound of this deeply flavored braised pork recipe. Food encompasses all our senses finding deep roots in our memories.
Neither did I! In fact, I wasn’t quite sure where Latvia was. I’ve already starting exploring more of its cuisine. Thanks so much Deb!
Well I have never made a Latvian recipe, so even if it is not 1000 the same base I think I would love it. Lots of apricot harvests in that part of the world.
Thanks Evelyne! This was a first for me and makes me want to explore the food of Latvia more.
This sounds really delicious, I love adding fruit to savoury dishes too:)
Thanks so much Monika! I’m the same way. Fruit in a savory dish can be very interesting.
So glad your quest has resulted with this stew; we still have cold weather over here and one glance through the window makes me have a portion or two 🙂 I thank you for mentioning the book also. Since I enjoy reading very much this one is on my list, definitely ! Thank you for another lesson (two actually ) ! Enjoy the day 🙂
Must say: ordered the book 🙂 🙂 Bye
Goody, goody!!! Hope you enjoy!
Thanks so much! With you loving food as much as me, you’re going to love the book. Throughout the book, the plot is accented with food which makes it a full Russian experience.
My mouth is watering terribly, MJ. Having a large bowl of this stew with some crusty bread for a lunch…and I am in my happy place 🙂
Thanks so much Angie! My husband said that exact same thing the second time I made this. It’s been a real hit in this house.
I’ve actually had a version of this dish! My wife’s book club read this book, and a couple of months ago we were having dinner at the house of another member — and this was dinner! It’s good stuff, and your version looks excellent. Small world. 🙂
It is a small world! I’ve recommended this book to lots of people and thus far, everyone that has read it loved it, including Bobby. I’d love to see your friend’s recipe. There were so many interesting ones out there. Apparently, it’s a versatile stew. thanks!