Pork Stew With Chickpeas

This slow-cooked Creatan pork stew with chickpeas is hearty and delicious. It has a few simple ingredients and delicate, rustic flavors.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cretan, Greek

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2

Servings

Calories 368kcal

Author by Jenny Skrapaliori Graves

Equipment

A 5 QT dutch oven or an oven proof pot

Ingredients

2 lbs pork shoulder
3 cups cooked chickpeas Please see the recipe notes.
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion diced
1 cup dry white wine or dry red wine
14 oz tomatoes canned or fresh, roughly chopped
1 cup sundried tomatoes roughly chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons ground cumin
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Heat the oven to 155°C / 315°F degrees.
Pat the pork with a paper towel to blot any extra moisture. Season with sea salt and pepper.
Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in an ovenproof pot (like a Dutch oven).
Add 3-4 pork pieces and brown all over. Transfer to a plate and repeat until all are browned.
Move all the pork back into the pot on high heat. Carefully add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate.
Add the onions, chickpeas, and tomatoes and season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper (to taste). Stir gently. If needed, add a little saved chickpea water(see recipe notes).
Cover and place the pot in the oven. Cook for 60 minutes.
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.
Let the pork stew sit for 15 minutes. Adjust sea salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Notes

Dried chickpeas versus canned

One cup of dry chickpeas will yield 3 cups of cooked chickpeas. For this recipe, ½ pounds of dried chickpeas (about 2 cups), will yield about 3 cups of cooked chickpeas.

Making this stew with dried chickpeas

Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of water. Half an hour before cooking, rinse them well, put them back in a bowl, and add plenty of water and a tablespoon of baking soda.
Rinse chickpeas well and add them to a pot with plenty of water. Bring them to a boil and cook until soft but not mushy. Save 2 cups of chickpea water and set it aside for later.

Making this stew with canned chickpeas

Drain the chickpeas in a bowl using a colander. Save the liquid from one of the cans and mix it with a cup of water. Set aside for later.

Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on products used.

Nutrition