
After five hours, add the peas and cooked rice (if using).
Season with additional salt or pepper to taste if needed. Carefully take the stew out of the oven and place it on a heat resistant surface.
Remove the cover from the Dutch oven and use a fork to shred the remaining meat off the bones. Carefully remove all bones from the stew.
Mix all of the dumpling ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and knead with your hands until the dough comes together into a slightly sticky mass.
Using an ice cream scoop or large heaping tablespoons, drop mounds of dough onto the surface of the stew.
Return the lid to the Dutch oven and place the stew back into the oven. Cook for one more hour.
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and allow the stew to cool for at least fifteen minutes before serving.