Portuguese Stew (Cozido à Portuguesa)

For me, Cozido à Portuguesa is the most traditional dish in Portugal. It is simple to make but varies depending on the region. Some recipes are made without beans, others with red beans, and others with chickpeas.
Some people like to add chicken, pig snouts, and other meats.
In the Azores, it is made in volcanic steam with sweet potatoes and yams.
When preparing the meats, pork can sometimes have some hairs that should be burned off on a stove or cut with a disposable blade.
The rice used can be parboiled, but other types like jasmine or short-grain can be used, with the cooking time indicated on the package.
If you want to make it for fewer people, reduce the recipe to half or a quarter.
You can also make other dishes with the leftovers, such as tarts and soup.

Neuza Costa

3 May, 2023

Ingredients:

• 1 smoked pork hock
• 1.2 kg (2.64 lbs) beef for stewing
• 1 whole pork hock, cut into pieces
• 1 pig's foot, halved
• 1 pig's ear
• ½ kg (1.1 lbs) lean pork belly
• 3 small or 2 large meat sausages
• 2 flour sausages
• 2 blood sausages
• 1 rice or boiling black pudding
• Salt
• 2 cloves
• 3 medium savoy cabbages
• 6 large carrots, cut into strips
• 2 large turnips, cut into pieces
• 6 medium boiling potatoes, halved
• 400 g (0.88 lbs or approximately 2 cups) parboiled rice
• 520 g (1.15 lbs) cooked white beans

Instructions:

1. The day before, place the meats in a tray and season them evenly with salt. Store in the refrigerator.
2. In a large pot, add water, cloves, and the smoked pork hock.
   Cook for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the cabbages.
   Remove the leaves, trim the excess stalk, and cut them in half.
   Wash the leaves well under running water. Finally, place them in a tub of water or a basin.
   When you reach the middle of the cabbage and the leaves are clean, cut the stalk and quarter them.
   With a knife, cut and discard the white part.
   Separate the leaves and add them to the tub.
4. After 1 hour, add the remaining meats and meat sausages.
   Add more water if necessary.
   Cook for another hour.
5. After this time, remove the meats as they finish cooking.
   The ear and smoked hock usually take longer to cook.
   Once all the meats are cooked, add more water if needed and the drained cabbages.
   Cover and bring to a boil.
6. Meanwhile, pierce all the sausages with a toothpick or fork, except for the black pudding.
7. When the cabbage water starts to boil, skim with a slotted spoon and make sure there is enough water to cover the remaining vegetables.
   Add the carrots, black pudding, and flour sausages.
   Cover partially and reduce heat to medium.
   Cook for 10 minutes.
8. After this time, add the turnips and potatoes.
   Flip the sausages.
   Cover partially again and cook for another 10 minutes.
9. After 10 minutes, place the blood sausages on top and reduce the heat to low.
   Cook the blood sausages for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, without covering the pot.
   After this time, transfer all the sausages to a platter.
   Keep all the meats and sausages in a 50°C (122°F) oven so they don't cool down.
10. Remove 1200 ml (42.2 fl oz) of broth to a pot.
    Add the rice to the broth.
    Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
11. Remove another 300 ml (10.6 fl oz) of broth and place it in a small saucepan with the beans to heat.
    Cover the pot of the stew again, increase the heat to maximum, and cook for another 20 minutes.
    After the beans start boiling, remove them and set aside.
12. After the 20 minutes, remove the rice.
    Once the vegetables are cooked, turn off the heat.
13. Meanwhile, while the rice is cooking, cut all the meats and sausages into pieces.
    Serve everything in platters and, preferably, a clay pot.

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