Tocăniță de Cartofi (Romanian Potato Stew) with Ceafă de Porc la Grătar (Grilled Pork Neck Chops)
Tocăniță de Cartofi is a delicious, comforting and easy to make Romanian-style potato stew. Enjoy it on its own or with grilled meats.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
For the Tocăniță de Cartofi:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 ounces smoked slanina sliced into thick, bit-sized pieces, substitute smoked bacon or pancetta
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 pounds yellow-fleshed potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper to taste
- 2 medium tomatoes cut into large pieces
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
For the Pork Chops:
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon dry onion flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 4 thin-sliced pork neck chops substitute pork loin chops
Instructions
For the Tocanita de Cartofi:
- Pre-heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and slanina. Cook, stirring, until golden brown and slightly crispy, around 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towel and reserve the fat in the pan. Set aside.
- Add the onion, carrot and bell pepper. Season with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, around 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 60 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 60 seconds. Add the potatoes and stir to combine.
- Add enough water to just cover the potatoes. Add the paprika, thyme, bay leaves and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, around 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stir to combine, cover with a lid and cook until the tomatoes have softened, around 6 minutes.
- Add the cooked slanina, parsley and dill, and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning, adjust with salt and pepper to taste as desired. Serve with the grilled pork chops when ready.
For the Pork Chops:
- In a bowl, combine the paprika, smoked paprika, garlic, onion flakes, thyme, salt, pepper and avocado oil. Stir to combine.
- In a large bowl or zip-top bag, combine the pork chops and marinade. Massage to coat and refrigerate 1 hour to overnight.
- When ready to cook, preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and cook, flipping occasionally, until slightly charred all over and the thickest part of each pork chop reaches 145F, around 12 minutes total. Transfer to a tray, tent with foil to keep warm and let rest 5 minutes before serving with the Tocanita de Cartofi.