This slow-cooked pork stew with chickpeas is hearty and delicious. It has a few simple ingredients and delicate, rustic flavors.
Pork stew with chickpeas is a recipe whose variations can be found all over Greece. This particular one is from Crete, from the area called Anogeia. It is traditionally cooked and enjoyed on the eve of the wedding.
This Cretan version of this pork stew follows Cretan cuisine's simple beauty with few ingredients and beautiful flavors.
What is the best cut of meat for this stew
Pork shoulder is a cut of meat that is great for slow cooking and is perfect for this recipe. It is a fattier cut, so I brown the meat first, render some of this fat, turn it a little crispy, and create the fabulous fond full of flavor on the bottom of the pan.
What is fond? The brown particles found on the pan after browning meat or vegetables are known as fond. Usually, the fond is dislodged from the pan's bottom and is incorporated into a (pan) sauce. That is called deglazing. Fond has a concentrated flavor that creates a beautiful sauce for a steak or sautéed vegetables. In this case, the fond at the bottom of the dutch oven infuses a great flavor to this stew.
Ingredients
- Pork shoulder stew meat
- Chickpeas
- Red onion
- Wine
- Tomatoes
- Sun-dried tomatoes.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Ground cumin
How to make this pork stew
Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of water. Half an hour before cooking, rinse them well, put them back in a bowl, add plenty of water and a tablespoon of baking soda.
When ready to start cooking, rinse chickpeas well, add them to a pot with plenty of water. Bring them to a boil and cook until soft but not mushy. Save 2 cups chickpea water. (Image 1)
Preheat the oven at 315 degrees.
While chickpeas cook, prepare the meat. Pat pork pieces with a paper towel to blot extra moisture. Season with sea salt and pepper.
Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a dutch oven or ovenproof pot. Add 3-4 pork pieces and brown all over. Remove browned pieces to a plate and repeat the process until all are browned. (Image 2)
Move stew pieces back in the pot, in high heat. Carefully add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate. (Image 3)
Add the onions, chickpeas, tomatoes, and season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, 2 tablespoons cumin, and cayenne pepper (to taste). Stir everything together. You can add a little saved chickpea water if needed. Cover and place pot in the oven. (Image 4)
Cook for 60 min.
Stir and add the sun-dried tomatoes, cover and continue cooking in the oven for 30 more minutes. (Image 5)
Uncover, add a little chickpea water if needed, stir and continue cooking for 30 more minutes. (Image 6)
Let the pork stew stand for 15 minutes. Adjust sea salt and pepper to taste and serve.
- Different varieties of chickpeas need more or less soaking time. If available, I like to use a small Italian chickpea variety called sultano that only requires 2 hours of soaking.
- Substitute dried chickpeas with canned chickpeas.
- Instead of tomatoes use 2 tablespoons of tomato paste diluted in a cup of water.
- If wine is not available or wanted use a cup of veggie or chicken stock.
You may also like:
- Chickpea lemon soup is a beloved soup and is pretty easy to make.
- This old fashioned beef stew recipe has a delicious sauce worthy of lots of bread dipping.
- This delicious chicken stew with lemony cannellini beans makes a rustic, simple meal that will satisfy and comfort.
Check out my Greek pantry staples
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Pork Stew With Chickpeas
Equipment
- A 5 QT dutch oven or an oven proof pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork shoulder
- 1 lbs chickpeas
- ½ extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 cup wine
- 14 oz tomatoes
- 1 cup sundried tomatoes roughly chopped (optional)
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of water. Half an hour before cooking rinse them well, put them back in a bowl, add plenty of water and a tablespoon of baking soda.
- When ready to cook, rinse chickpeas well, add them in a pot with plenty of water. Bring them to a boil and cook until soft but not mushy. Save 2 cups chickpea water.
- Preheat the oven at 315 degrees.While chickpeas cook, prepare the meat. Pat pork pieces with a paper towel to blot extra moisture. Season with sea salt and pepper.Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a dutch oven or oven proof pot. Add 3-4 pork pieces and brown all over. Remove and repeat process until all pieces are browned.
- Move stew pieces back in the pot, in high heat. Add the wine and let alcohol evaporate.Add the onions, chickpeas, tomatoes and season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, 2 tablespoons cumin and cayenne pepper (to taste). You can add a little saved chickpea water if needed. Cover and place pot in the oven.Cook for 60 min.
- Stir and add the sun-dried tomatoes, cover and continue cooking in the oven for 30 more minutes.Uncover, add a little chickpea water if needed, stir and continue cooking for 30 more minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
