Try this Latin-inspired slow-cooker pork stew

This healthful, hearty stew includes lots of vegetables and full-bodied, low-fat gravy. It keeps well and tastes even better the next day. If you're looking for something a little different, give this Latin-inspired recipe a try.

This tasty stew takes 30 minutes to prepare, 15 to cook, and then 4 - 8 hours in the slow cooker. It makes 8 generous servings. You'll need the following:

• 700 g (1 1/2 lb) pork, trimmed, and cut into 4 cm (1 1/2 inch) cubes. (Choose a leg cut, also called fresh ham, rather than shoulder, which is higher in fat.)
• 2 g (1/2 tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• 1 g (1/4 tsp) salt (or add to taste)
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 30 g (2 tbsp) all-purpose flour
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 250 ml (1 cup) lager beer
• 1 can (398 ml or 14 1/2 oz) mild green chile–seasoned tomatoes, undrained
• 175 ml (3/4 cup) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 5 ml (1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce
• 7 g (1 1/2 tsp) ground cumin
• 3 g (3/4 tsp) dried oregano
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2.5- by 2-cm (1- by 3/4-inch) chunks
• 350 g (1 1/2 cups) frozen pearl onions
• 350 g (1 1/2 cups) frozen corn niblets
• 50 g (1/4 cup) chopped fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Hot sauce

1. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and sprinkle with the pepper and salt. Heat two teaspoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the pork and cook, turning with tongs occasionally, until browned (3 - 5 minutes), then transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining pork.
2. Add the remaining  teaspoon of oil to the skillet. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently until softened and lightly browned (1 - 2 minutes). Add the flour and garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the beer and bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the skillet. Add the tomatoes and mash with a potato masher. Stir in the broth, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer.
3. Place the pork in a 4-litre (4-quart) slow cooker and spoon on half of the tomato mixture. Place the sweet potato on top of the sauce, then top with the remaining tomato mixture. Cover and cook until the pork and vegetables are very tender, 4 to 4½ hours on high or 7 to 8 hours on low.
4. Shortly before the stew is ready, cook the pearl onions and frozen corn separately, according to package directions, then add to the stew. Discard the bay leaves and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve with lime wedges and hot sauce. One serving is 250 millilitres (1 cup).

Each tasty serving contains the following nutrients:

•  235 Calories
• 21 g Protein
• 14 g Carbohydrates (3 g fibre)
• 8 g Total fat
• 3 g Saturated fat
• 42 mg Cholesterol
• 371 mg Sodium.

This stew is the perfect meal to make on a cozy Sunday, and it will yield a bunch of leftovers that you can use for lunches or for dinner later in the week. As an extra bonus, your whole kitchen will resonate with an incredible savory smell while your stew is cooking. What more can you ask for?