Caldo Gallego

Name: Caldo Gallego
Yield: makes 4 servings as a main course, 6 as a starter
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1/4 pound salt pork or bacon, diced; 1/4 pound ham, preferably Serrano or prosciutto, with some of its fat, diced; 1 cup dried white beans, soaked overnight (if you have the time) and drained; 1/2 pound waxy (“new”) potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks; 1 onion, sliced; 1/4 pound turnips, trimmed, peeled, and diced; 1 dried chorizo sausage, about 1/2 pound, peeled and sliced; 1 small head of cabbage, preferably Savoy; Salt and black pepper to taste

December 14, 2011

Galicia’s hearty bean and meat stew makes a terrific one-pot meal but is often served in cups as a starter. The rich flavors of the meat and beans are complemented by the sharp turnip and greens. In Galicia, the meat base is made from unto, a cured pork belly that I would tell you how to find if I knew. It’s not unlike pancetta but most like the fatty part of prosciutto, which would make a great substitute; salt pork or bacon is also fine—here I use a combination. There are as many ways to vary Caldo Gallego as there are to vary beef stew. For example, substitute chickpeas for the white beans; add chunks of pork shoulder, ribs, beef brisket, shin, chuck, or oxtail with the beans (increase the cooking time somewhat); replace the chorizo with other sausage; add peeled chunks of winter squash, pumpkin, apple, or pear; or substitute green beans or kale, collards, or chard for the cabbage.

Recipe information

Yield
makes 4 servings as a main course, 6 as a starter

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 pound salt pork or bacon, diced

1/4 pound ham, preferably Serrano or prosciutto, with some of its fat, diced

1 cup dried white beans, soaked overnight (if you have the time) and drained

1/2 pound waxy (“new”) potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks

1 onion, sliced

1/4 pound turnips, trimmed, peeled, and diced

1 dried chorizo sausage, about 1/2 pound, peeled and sliced

1 small head of cabbage, preferably Savoy

Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan or flameproof casserole over medium-high heat. Add the pork and ham and brown, then stir in the beans. Pour in enough water to cover the beans by 3 inches and bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes or until the beans are nearly tender.
Step 2
Add the potatoes, onion, and turnips and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Then add the chorizo and cabbage and cook just until the chorizo is heated through and the greens are soft, 10 to 20 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and serve. (You can prepare the soup entirely in advance, but do not let sit for more than a few hours or the potatoes will begin to disintegrate.)

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Recipe notes