Rustic Spanish Chickpea and Mixed Meat Stew

1. Gather Ingredients

First, gather all your ingredients. You'll need chickpeas or your preferred mix of legumes, a selection of vegetables like carrots, onions, garlic, and red bell pepper, and small bits of ham or sausage. If you’re preparing this dish for a special occasion, feel free to add a variety of meats and cured pork products like pig’s ears, tails, snouts, and trotters. Make sure everything is prepped and ready before you start cooking.

2. Set Up Cooking Area

Next, set up your cooking area. Traditionally, this hearty stew benefits from being cooked slowly over a gentle heat. If you have a large pot and a fireplace or a tripod over burning coals, that’s perfect. The slow simmering on an open flame imparts a deep, rich flavor that is hard to beat. Place your pot over the heat and ensure it is steadily simmering. This method truly brings out the best in your ingredients, melding the flavors together in a way that’s simply mouth-watering.

3. Combine Ingredients in Pot

Combine all your ingredients in the pot. Add the chickpeas or legumes, diced carrots, chopped onion, minced garlic, red bell pepper, and the ham or sausage bits. If you are using the optional meats and cured pork products, add them now. Let everything simmer gently for several hours. This slow cooking process allows the flavors to meld together beautifully, resulting in a stew that’s rich, hearty, and deeply satisfying.

4. Cook Pork Products Separately (Optional)

For a modern approach, you can choose to cook some of the pork products separately to reduce their fat content before adding them to the stew. Use separate pots for this, and once they are cooked, combine them back with the rest of the ingredients. This method still gives you a delicious stew but with a slightly lighter texture.

5. Serve the Stew

Finally, serve the stew. Traditionally, this dish is enjoyed by first serving the broth with some vermicelli or rice, followed by the meats, legumes, and vegetables. This two-part serving method enhances the dining experience, allowing you to savor every aspect of the stew.