Chorizo, pork belly & chickpea casserole
By Barney Desmazery
Cooking time
Prep: 20 mins Cook: 2 hrs, 30 minsSkill level
EasyServings
Serves 4A Spanish-influenced stew with slow-cooked belly pork, a cheap cut with great flavour and soft texture
Nutrition and extra info
Additional info
- Freezable
Nutrition per serving
- kcalories
- 680
- protein
- 43.5g
- carbs
- 22.6g
- fat
- 45.2g
- saturates
- 15.7g
- fibre
- 4.4g
- sugar
- 9.4g
- salt
- 1.3g
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 700g skinless, boneless pork belly, cut into large bite-sized chunks
- 100g cooking chorizo, sliced into thin rounds
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- small pinch dried chilli flakes
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4 bay leaves, fresh are best
- sprig of thyme
- large pinch golden caster sugar
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 50ml sherry vinegar or good quality red wine vinegar
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- fresh chopped parsley
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Method
- 1 Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat the oil in a casserole dish with a lid and spend a good 10 mins browning the pork on all sides. If your casserole dish isn’t wide enough to fit the pork in a single layer then brown it in batches. Scoop the pork out and set aside then add the chorizo and sizzle for a minute. Add the vegetables, fennel seeds, chilli flakes, garlic and herbs and cook for about 5 mins until the vegetables are soft and just starting to colour. Sprinkle over the sugar and stir in the tomato purée then splash in the vinegar and bubble for a moment. Tip in the tomatoes and a can of water. Stir the pork and juices into the sauce, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
- Cover the dish with a lid and place in the oven for 1 hr 45 mins, checking occasionally and if the sauce becomes too thick add a splash more water. Remove the pan from the oven and stir in the chickpeas and return to the oven for 15 mins. Remove again and leave to cool slightly so it’s not scorching hot then stir through the parsley. Taste for seasoning and serve with crusty bread or boiled potatoes.
Recipe from bbcgoodfood.com, January 2012
Comments, questions and tips
Comments
Really excellent, another wonderful way to use pork belly, one of my favourite cuts.
I used fresh chillies, two birds-eye, which made it very spicy hot, so probably one would do.
The contrasting textures of the pork, the chorizo and the chick peas make this a rather special stew. I served it with crusty bread, useful to mop up the delicious sauce!
I made this in the slow cooker, and didn't add any water. The pork was delicious and soft, I used butter beans rather than chickpeas, the texture was lovely, but I think the chickpeas would have improved it.I think that I would add paprika and more chilli next time, especially if cooking for just adults. Lovely family meal, enjoyed the next day too.
I cooked it for eight hours.on low.
The Chirizo, the pork & chickpeas worked well together. I used dried chickpeas which I soaked overnight & cooked until tender before adding to the casserole, & used pork shoulder instead of Belly pork. I also used a couple of suggestion from other reviewers & added a little smoked paprika & only 1/2 can of water. The only negative I have it tasted too vinegry. Next time, & yes I will make it again, I will drastically reduced the amount of vinegar used or cut it out altogether.
I used a cheap cut of pork for this and cut most but not all the fat off. I had 20 for Xmas lunch and 8 for Xmas eve , so made this in advance and froze it for Xmas eve, leaving the chickpeas out until it was being reheated from frozen. Served it with fresh greens and potato and celeriac mash. Next time will try some different beans just for fun.
Absolutely easy and delicious, they all loved it a bit too much and there were no leftovers !
Everyone loved this recipe. It was very successful. It was made for a birthday party and went down well.
I used pork spare rib chops and followed the recipe except I added a level tablespoon of flour to thicken the sauce slightly. There was lots of sauce. I served baked potatoes with the casserole.
A lovely recipe and one I will use again.