Frugal recipes

Check out this amazing recipe for pork, chorizo and cannellini bean stew- for £1.62 per person!

Recipe #22:  Pork, chorizo and cannellini bean stew (serves 5)

In our brand new Frugal Recipe series, we'll be looking at cheaper cuts of meat and cheaper, more sustainable fish and how to make them into some fantastic meals over the next couple of months.

I'll be showing you some recipes that are great alternatives to (and in my opinion equally delicious as) the more expensive pork chops, chicken breasts and unsustainable cod options.

It's two weeks in a row for pork and I know it's a little selfish, but the onset of the winter nights has had me craving a good spicy stew. And for me it comes no better than a Spanish style stew - using pork shoulder steaks is a great alternative to loin, fillet or chops and they really take to stewing as a method of cooking. The simplicity of this dish is amazing.

Ingredients

• 850g of Tesco pork shoulder steaks (£4 - £4.71 per kg)
• 1 can of Cannellini beans (79p)
• 225g of Tesco chorizo (£2.35)
• 2 cans of chopped tomatoes (70p)

• 2 medium red onions (28p)

The cupboard staples...

Salt, black pepper, olive oil, paprika, dried chilli flakes and garlic (4 cloves).

Total cost

If you already have the cupboard staples, then according to mysupermarket.co.uk, this trolley was cheapest at Tesco, where it came to £8.12 - that's £1.62 per head!

Instructions

• Firstly slice the pork into strips, season and fry off in a heavy bottomed pan until brown all over. Remove from the pan and drain off any excess oil.
• Now add the chorizo to the pan (cut into cubes), brown off for two minutes then add the roughly chopped onions, four teaspoons of paprika, 2 teaspoons of chilli flakes and the garlic. Fry for a further 2 minutes until the onion has softened.
• Once the onions have softened add the pork back to the pan along with ½ a pint of water and the tomatoes. Season to taste.
• Simmer the stew for 1 hour on a low heat with a lid on (add water if it looks like it needs it). After 1 hour remove the lid and add the cannellini beans. Simmer for a further 30 minutes.

• Serve with some crusty bread and happy eating!

A bit about our Chef, Paul Warburton

Paul Warburton, a lovemoney.com staff member, had a hectic career in the world of hot kitchens and screaming chefs before joining the lovemoney.com products development team.

During these years, under the tutorage of some great chefs, he honed his skills in cooking for numbers within a tight cost and portion-controlled environment.

Now he's planning to regularly offer his help to all budding chefs in the lovemoney.com community, so you can enjoy his original, low-cost recipes with your family and friends every Friday for free!

What lovemoney.com readers have said about Paul's other recipes

"We enjoyed this recipe very much: easy to make and even easier to eat!" varneyrob

"I made this recipe and it was absolutely delicious! Seriously good! Five of us feasted on it, and feasted well..." Ibeshy

"I made this recipe on Saturday night, and my 13 year-old son promptly requested it again for the following night!" Malcolm Wheatley

"This is a cracking risotto recipe. Just had it for lunch & it's a winner. More recipes please. Thanks." SavvyLass

"Another delicious offering from Paul. Thank you - keep 'em coming!" Palefire

Please add your own comments using the comments box below!

If you like this recipe, why not also try Paul's other Frugal Recipes: Twice cooked pork belly, roast parsnips and sweet apple red cabbage | Rolled breast of lamb with garlic mash and Savoy cabbage | Lemon & rosemary chicken thighs |  Thai Pollock curry with egg noodles | Chunky pea and ham soup| Spaghetti alla carbonara | Pork stroganoff | Green chilli meat balls, sunflower seed couscous salad and mint yoghurt |  Tagliatelle with air dried cured ham and minted peas | Beef, thyme and mushroom loaf with potato dauphinoise | Mixed bean and coriander green curry with fragrant rice | Egg Florentine with smoked cheddar and rocket salad | Beef, mushroom and thyme pie | Spicy tuna, bean and coriander lasagne |  Beef koftas with a feta, spinach and fresh mint salad | Chorizo and pea risotto | Sausage and rosemary hotpot | Beef & thyme (Lacashire) hotpot