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.

Left image: Chickpeas soaking in water. Right image. Meat pieces browned in olive oil.

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)

Pork stew meat preparation in a black pot.

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.

A dutch oven with chickpea and pork stew.

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.