Pork and Sausage Stew with Polenta (Tochitură)
Tochitură moldovenească Say it: toh-kee-TOO-rah mol-doh-veh-NYAH-skuh
Tochitură is the Moldavian answer to a cold-weather feast: chunks of fatty pork and smoked sausage braised until the wine-garlic sauce turns dark and glossy, then ladled over soft cornmeal porridge. Diners usually get a runny fried egg and crumbled salty sheep's cheese on top, with pickles on the side to cut the richness. The dish is built for a crowd and rewards a long, slow simmer; start it early, make the polenta near the end, and bring the pot to the table.
Pork and Sausage Stew with Polenta (Tochitură)
Tochitură moldovenească
Pronounced toh-kee-TOO-rah mol-doh-veh-NYAH-skuh
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 2 hr 30 min
- Total
- 3 hr 10 min
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the pork and sausage stew
For the polenta
For serving
Method
Use paper towels to dry the pork cubes, but do not trim away all the fat. If the meat is not already cut, remove any skin or hard sinew and cut it into 1½–2 in (4–5 cm) cubes.
Warm 3 tbsp of the lard in a heavy Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Brown the pork in stages, putting the fattiest cubes in first, and turn them until they have a dark crust on all sides; allow 20–25 minutes altogether. At first the meat will give off liquid—cook until that liquid has cooked away, so the cubes fry and caramelize instead of stewing.
Put in the sausage pieces and let them take on color for 3–4 minutes. Return every piece of pork to the pot. Add the red wine, let it bubble hard for 1–2 minutes, and use a spoon to lift the browned bits from the base.
Mix in the paprika, thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic paste. Turn the heat to low, put the lid on, and let the stew murmur for 1½–2 hours. Stir now and then; if the bottom threatens to catch, add just a splash of hot water. The pork should be completely soft and the juices should look shiny.
While the meat cooks, prepare the polenta. Bring the 5 cups (1.2 L) water and 1 tsp salt to a boil in a sturdy saucepan. Pour in the cornmeal in a slow, even stream while whisking. Turn the heat to low and stir frequently with a wooden spoon until the mixture is dense and starts to leave the pan sides, 25–30 minutes. Put a lid on and keep it warm.
Set a large frying pan over medium heat with the last 1 tbsp lard. Crack in the eggs and fry them sunny-side up until the whites are firm and the yolks still flow, 2–3 minutes.
Taste the stew, then correct the salt and pepper. If the liquid seems loose, leave the lid off for a few minutes over the heat until it clings to the meat.
Spoon the warm polenta onto plates and make a hollow in the center. Ladle the pork, sausage, and sauce into the hollow, set a fried egg on each serving, and crumble cheese over the top. Put the pickles on the table.
Regional variant: Tochitură with offal (tochitură cu măruntaie)
Swap out roughly one-third of the pork for pork liver and/or kidney cut into bite-sized pieces. Wait until the last 10–15 minutes of simmering before adding the liver and kidney, so they remain tender and still slightly pink at the center. For a darker sauce and a slightly different taste, you can also blend a spoonful of tomato paste into the wine.
Cook's notes
- When buying the pork, request a combination of fatty and lean cuts and include some belly; the lean cubes are less likely to dry out over the long cook.
- Choose a dry red wine you enjoy drinking. Sweet wine will tip the sauce toward stickiness.
- If you want more kick, tuck one chopped pickled hot pepper into the pot with the garlic, or pass extra peppers at the table.
Serve with
Pair it with soft mămăligă, a fried egg with a runny yolk, and a generous amount of brânză de burduf or telemea. A glass of dry red wine or a small measure of țuică is the traditional accompaniment.
Make ahead and storage
The stew is even better after a night in the fridge; keep it chilled for up to 3 days, then warm it slowly and loosen with a little water or wine. Cook the polenta, fry the eggs, and crumble the cheese just before you serve.
