What cut did you use for the stew? Could you tell us your procedure and ingredients?
I find the best cuts for stew are usually the toughest, gnarliest cuts out there. Those particular muscles were really worked hard by the critter, and have a slightly stronger taste. Personally, I use either chuck, sirloin, or round steak. If you buy a roast and cut it down into pieces, you will save money as the price / pound is less than pre-packaged "stew meat".
Also, I make a point of making my own stock, usually in 2 gallon batches, then freezing the stock in ice cube trays, and storing the cubes in gallon ziplock baggies. This way, whenever I want to make a stew, I have homemade, high-quality stock, full of gelatin, which gives a good stock it's body and flavor. I don't make "pork" stock, but rather, I always keep chicken, beef, and shrimp stock on hand. As long as there is lots of cartiliage and skin in the chicken stock when I'm simmering it, LOTS of gelatin will render out. As long as I go to the Asian grocery store, I can pick up some beef knuckles, which are LOADED with cartiliage. It usually takes 24 - 36 hours for that cartiliage to break down into gelatin, but is well worth the wait. I have even been known to make a small batch of beef demi-glace if I get a really gelatin-rich batch of beef stock.