Romanian Pork Stew
Tochitură is a recipe from Moldavia, the region in the country's northeast, where it's considered almost a national dish — served at every festive table alongside polenta and a glass of wine. The name comes from the verb 'to chop,' referring to how the meat was cut into small pieces rather than to any fine-mincing technique; traditionally several cuts of pork went into the same pan — tenderloin, liver, sausage — though the version made with a single lean cut has become the most common today. What separates a successful tochitură from a failed one is the order of cooking: the meat must be browned well before any liquid is added, so the caramelised bits form on the bottom of the pan that give the stew its characteristic depth. If the wine or tomato paste goes in too early, the meat simmers instead of browning, and the sauce stays pale, missing the intense flavour that sets it apart from a plain pork stew.
Meat cut into small pieces
Browns in its own rendered fat, not added oil
Dry wine in the stew
Deglazes the pan and thins the sauce without water
Served alongside polenta and an egg
Each element stays separate on the plate, not mixed together
Grated sheep's cheese on top
Softens gently from the stew's residual heat
Ingredients 4 servings
- 800g pork tenderloin or shoulder, cut into small cubes
- 2 tbsp lard or oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 200ml dry red wine
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Grated sheep's cheese, to serve
- 4 eggs, for frying
- Cooked polenta, to serve
How to make it
- 1BROWN THE MEAT: heat the lard in a deep pan over medium-high heat, add the meat cubes without crowding the pan and brown them on all sides, 6-8 minutes, until well coloured.
- 2ADD THE ONION: lower the heat to medium, add the chopped onion straight into the remaining fat and cook for 4-5 minutes, until softened.
- 3ADD THE GARLIC: stir in the chopped garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- 4DEGLAZE WITH WINE: pour in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spoon to lift the browned bits stuck to it.
- 5Let the wine reduce by half, 2-3 minutes.
- 6ADD THE TOMATO PASTE: stir in the tomato paste, thyme, salt and pepper, then cover the pan and simmer gently over low heat for 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
- 7FRY THE EGGS: shortly before serving, fry the eggs sunny-side up in a separate pan, with the whites fully set and the yolks still soft.
- 8ASSEMBLE THE PLATE: place a portion of stew on each plate, alongside a slice of polenta and an egg, keeping them separate rather than mixed together.
- 9SERVE: sprinkle grated sheep's cheese over the hot stew and serve immediately.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
