Pork Stew with Sweet Potato and Prunes

From Pam Anderson, "Perfect One-Dish Dinners"

The stew, including the roasted Sweet potatoes, can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator, and then reheated.You can easily double the stew using a large heavy roasting pan.

3 pounds bonless pork shoulder (or boneless country ribs), cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes and patted dry
5 T oil, divided
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minved
2 t dried thyme
3 T flour
3 c chicken broth
1 c full bodied red wine
4 medium sweet potatoes (2 pounds), pealed and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 1/2 c pitted prunes

Adjust oven racks to the lowest and middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees.  Heat a heavy-bottomed soup kettle or dutch oven over low heat.

Meanwhile, place pork in a medium bowl.  Pour 2 T oil over meat, season with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat.

Increase heat to a strong medium-highuntil wisps of smoke start to rise from the pan.  Working in 2 batches to prevent overcrowding, add pork and sear, turning only once, until 2 sides form an impressive brown crust, 6 to 8 minutes per batch.  Transfer meat to a plate; set aside.

Add onion to pan adding 1 T oil if pan is dry, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Whisk in flour, then broth and wine.  Return pork to pan.  Using two potholders to protect hands, place a sheet of heavy-duty foil over pan, pressing down on foil so that it touches stew.  Seal foil around edges.  Place lid snugly on pan and let cook until you hear the juices bubble.  Set pan on middle rack in oven and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

After 45 minutes, toss sweet potatoes with remaining 2 T oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper in a 9-by-13 pan.  Set on bottom rack and roast until sweet potatoes and pork are tender, about 30 minutes longer.  Remove sweet potatoes and stew from oven.  Remembering that the pan and lid are hot, stir sweet potatoes and prunes into stew.  Recover pan with foil and lid and let meat rest and vegetables marry with stew, about 15 minutes.  Set stew over low heat, if necessary, to reheat, and then serve.