Be flexible with this recipe and add your favorite things to it.. please!
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i'm not sure how i came to this recipe.
not sure what prompted me to add the coconut milk, but it was a great addition and now it's part of all my stew recipes:

meat stew:

1-3T bacon fat
1-2 onions minced, 3-5 stalks of celery chopped, 6-10 cloves of garlic minced, 3-5 carrots chopped
1-1.5lb of meat/pork/chicken combo, either, or...
1 can coconut milk
1 14oz can tomatoes (diced/whole/crushed ... whatever you desire)
1/4 head of chopped cabbage (optional)
few spoonfuls of gelatin - optional
salt & 2 bay leaves
crushed red pepper (optional)
seasonings: go mexican/african/indian/italian/asian. use whatever formula you enjoy...

Directions:

melt the fat and cook all those chopped veggies..
onions should be nearly clear.
add the meat and stir, browning the meat. don't burn veggies.
cook until you're happy the meat is browning.
add both cans of items.
add salt & bay leaves, crushed red pepper(optional)
add extra gelatin (optional)
add your seasoning flavoring.
add chopped cabbage (optional)
cover, lower the temp to medium simmer and let it cook all day long..
or put in a crock pot and leave over night on low..

either you've developed a ton of broth, or you haven't. depending on how much meat you added.. (be sure to drink extra broth for nutritious reasons)
no worries. it's either going to be soup or stew!

serve in bowls.
you can serve with a wedge of lemon to squeeze in it.
you can chop some fresh herbs and add to the top.
you can grind some fresh pepper on top.

the coconut milk really gives it body and added fat.

i have no clue what the counts are for this.

Nice recipe. Thanks. This is how I like to cook - lots of veggies and meat simmering for hours. Everything always comes out so delicious and tender!

I have been craving stew. I'm going to try this. Thanks!

This is getting made tomorrow. Start it in the morning, in the crockpot for the rest of the day. oh yeah.

Sounds real good, PG. Is the gelatin you mention like Knox unflavored gelatin powder? I assume that it is for thickening?

yes, unflavored gelatin, but for health reasons.
we don't get enough collagen in our lives with all the skinned/filleted food we're eating.
it doesn't thicken...
the more meat you use, the thicker the stew gets.

Yum! This sounds so good and simple! I just bought some gelatin and have been trying to figure out what to do with it.

Thanks, PG. Ya learn something everyday. I thought gelatin would thicken the stew. Shows what I know.....and I cook a lot (obviously not with gelatin ).

OMG this was so good! And flexible, simple, and cheap! Total keeper. Thank you!

you bet..........
just made another large pot of this for these miserable cold days...

Yumm. I just finished it and is it ever tasty.

My wife and I love soups and stews. We make them most every week from everything we and think of. Chicken is a favorite ingredient, but whatever wild game I have come up with works well too. Sometimes we cook it on the stove, sometimes in a crock pot and sometimes in the pressure cooker. Its all good.
Looking forward to try this method. Thanks Pilotgirl.