Pork and Chickpea Stew with Cinnamon
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutes3
hoursThis stew is off the charts tasty. The flavors go together and the meal is warming and perfect with some naan bread on a cold night. The stew is hearty and takes some time but well worth it in the end. The flavor is fantastic. My family loved this recipe. I loved the ease and the flavors. I made the day before so it was all set to go. I served it with a large chicory salad and couscous for my hungry teenagers. Warm bread is a wonderful addition.
Ingredients
3 lbs pork shoulder, fate trimmed, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 3inch cinnamon sticks
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped+quarter sliced thinly for garnish
4 garlic cloves, smashed
3 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
1 lg bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 28oz can whole tomatoes
2 15oz can chickpeas, rinsed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Fresh mint leaves, torn
Directions
- Pat pork dry. Season generously all over with salt and fresh black pepper. Heat oil in a lg Dutch oven over med high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook pork, turning occasionally until browned all over about 7-9 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
- Pour off all but 2 Tablespoons, add cinnamon sticks and cook, stirring until starting to unscroll about 1 minute. Add garlic and cook stirring often until fragrant, about 1 min. Add dates, bay leaf, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and fresh ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Add tomatoes and their juices and then add 5 cups water, stir to combine. Using your hands, crush tomatoes.
- Return pork to pan with any juices, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover and cook, adjusting head as needed to maintain a simmer, until meat is fork tender, 2 1/2-3 hours.
- Transfer pork to a medium bowl and shred with 2 forks. return meat to pot. Add chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover and simmer until chickpeas are very tender, 25-30 minutes. Remove from heat and add vinegar. Stir in and season to taste.
- Divide stew among 4 warm bowls and garnish with red onion and fresh mint. ****Stew can be made ahead 1 day. Let cool completely and chill in the refrigerator, gently reheat the next day. Serve alone or with couscous.
