More and more simmer sauces seem to be appearing on supermarket shelves every day. Using them in the Sun Oven can be tricky. The excess moisture cannot simmer away like it would stovetop leaving the dish swimming in too much liquid. I decided to give them another chance with this stew. I was trying to recreate one of my favorite dishes from a local Mexican restaurant when I noticed a jar of Texas chili sauce that had almost the same ingredients of the recipe I had in mind. The idea of not purchasing three different kinds of dried hot peppers that would probably sit in my spice cupboard for years was appealing. The thought of not following the multiple steps required to prepare said peppers was even more appealing. Plus, I was pretty confident that the sauce could easily be thickened with pumpkin.
Sun Oven Pork and Pumpkin Stew
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound pork loin, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 jar (16-ounce) chili simmer sauce
1 cup canned pumpkin
pepitas for garnish
Preparation
Set Sun Oven out to preheat.
In large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the pork and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Stir in the simmer sauce and pumpkin. Cover and cook in the Sun Oven until the meat is tender, about 1 hour. Sprinkle pepitas onto each serving.
Makes 4 servings.