Manitas de Cerdo con Garbanzo

Ingredients

• 30 ml (2 tbsp)vegetable oil
• 8 piecespork trotters
• 1onion, chopped
• 4 clovesgarlic, thinly sliced
• 3 mediumtomatoes, blended
• 1 large or 2 smallbay leaves
• to tastethyme
• 15 ml (1 tbsp)sweet paprika
• to tastedried chilli flakes
• to tastesalt and pepper
• to tasteground cumin
• 710 ml (3 cups)water
• 2 smallcarrots, sliced or chopped
• to tastepotato, cubed (optional)
• to servechopped parsley
• 1 canpre-cooked chickpeas
• 340 g (¾ lb; about 2 medium potatoes)potatoes

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the trotters

   Wash and clean the pork trotters thoroughly. If you wish, boil them in water for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse well under cold water to remove any impurities. Pat dry with kitchen paper.

2. 2

   Brown the pork

   Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the trotters briefly on both sides, just enough to give them some colour.

3. 3

   Set them aside

   Transfer the browned trotters to kitchen paper.

4. 4

   Soften the aromatics

   In the same pan, cook the onion and garlic with a little salt and pepper for a couple of minutes.

5. 5

   Add the vegetables

   Stir in the carrots and herbs, and cook briefly.

6. 6

   Stir in tomato

   Add the blended tomatoes and stir to combine.

7. 7

   Season the sauce

   Add the seasonings to taste, making the sauce well seasoned while bearing in mind that quite a lot of liquid will be added.

8. 8

   Cook the sauce

   Let the sauce cook for a few minutes over a medium heat.

9. 9

   Load the cooker

   Put the pork trotters into a pressure cooker.

10. 10

    Pressure-cook the pork

    Add the sauce and water, stir, and cook for 50 minutes.

11. 11

    Choose whether to continue

    The trotters can be eaten at this point; for a more complete dish, continue with the following steps.

12. 12

    Add chickpeas and potatoes

    Transfer the trotters to a saucepan on the hob. Add the chickpeas and cubed potatoes, bring to the boil, then cook over a medium heat with the pan half covered for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

13. 13

    Remove the herbs

    Take out the bay leaves and thyme.

14. 14

    Garnish and serve

    Serve the stew with chopped parsley scattered over the top.

What is manitas de cerdo con garbanzo?

The name means pork trotters with chickpeas: a home-style stew built around slow-tenderised pork, pulses and vegetables. Pork trotters appear in many traditional cuisines, and this version brings them together with a tomato-based sauce and familiar pantry seasonings.

The pressure-cooked trotters give the broth body, while chickpeas and potatoes make the finished dish more substantial. Browning the pork and cooking the sauce before pressure-cooking adds savoury depth.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 650 calories, 42g protein, 48g carbs, 31g fat.

The chickpeas and potatoes provide most of the carbohydrates, while the pork trotters contribute protein and much of the fat. For a more balanced plate, add a generous serving of green vegetables or salad alongside the stew.

The key ingredients

Pork trotters: clean them thoroughly before cooking. The optional brief boil and rinse helps remove impurities, and drying them afterwards makes browning less messy.

Chickpeas and potatoes: the recipe adds these after the pressure-cooking stage, so they cook in the flavourful pork broth without becoming overly soft during the longer cook.

Build flavour in the pan

Brown the trotters just until coloured rather than trying to cook them through. Use the same pan for the onion, garlic, carrot and tomato so the sauce picks up the browned flavours left behind.

Season the sauce boldly, but remember the added water will dilute it. The recipe leaves chilli, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper to taste, so add them gradually and adjust to your preference.

Pressure-cooking and tenderness

The method calls for 50 minutes in a pressure cooker, followed by a further 25 minutes on the hob with the chickpeas and potatoes. Follow your pressure cooker’s instructions for filling, locking and releasing pressure.

The potatoes are the stated doneness cue for the final simmer: they should be soft when pierced. If they need longer, continue cooking until tender.

The final simmer

Adding the chickpeas and potatoes after pressure-cooking keeps them from spending the full cooking time in the pot. Keep the saucepan only half covered as directed, allowing the stew to simmer while some steam escapes.

Remove the bay leaves and thyme before serving. Taste the broth once the ingredients have come together and adjust the seasoning if needed.

What to serve with it

This is a filling stew that can be served on its own, with parsley for freshness. A simple green salad or cooked green vegetables make a useful contrast to the rich pork and soft potatoes.

If you want something to mop up the broth, serve bread alongside it.

Recipe notes & tips

• Clean the trotters carefully, and use the optional brief boil and rinse if you want to remove impurities before cooking.
• Dry the trotters before browning to make handling them in the hot pan easier.
• Brown the pork in batches if the pan is crowded, so the pieces colour rather than steam.
• Taste the sauce before adding the water and season it assertively, keeping the dilution in mind.
• Cut the potatoes into evenly sized cubes so they cook at a similar rate.
• Remove the bay leaves and thyme before serving.

Variations

• Adjust the heat: add more or fewer dried chilli flakes to suit your preference.
• Use dried chickpeas: cook them separately until tender before adding them to the stew.
• Add extra vegetables: include more carrot or another firm vegetable in the final simmer.
• Serve with greens: pair the stew with a simple salad or cooked green vegetables.
• Skip the potato: omit the optional cubed potato if you prefer a brothier stew.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the cleaning: wash the trotters thoroughly, and use the optional boil and rinse to remove impurities.
• Over-browning the pork: colour it briefly on both sides; the recipe does not call for cooking it through at this stage.
• Crowding the pan: brown the trotters in batches so they can colour properly.
• Under-seasoning the sauce: taste and season before adding the water, allowing for the dilution.
• Adding potatoes too early: add them after pressure-cooking so they do not cook through during the 50-minute stage.
• Leaving whole herbs in the dish: remove the bay leaves and thyme before serving.

How to store

Cool leftovers promptly, then refrigerate in a covered container and eat within 3 days. Reheat in a saucepan until piping hot throughout, adding a splash of water if the stew has thickened.

Frequently asked questions