Spanish Fabada

By stancec44

Hearty comfort food at its most robust. Serious comfort food. Serve with polenta or hearty mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

• 2 med. pork chops, with bones
• 8 strips thick sliced bacon
• 1 (10 oz) dried hot chorizo, cut in 1/4" slices
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 c. white onion, diced
• 1 c. leeks (white parts only) minced
• 3 c. cooked white beans
• 3 c. low sodium chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. Spanish sweet paprika (opt.)
• (For a less piquant stew, use fresh chorizo sausage rather than the dry, cured version, which is heavier on seasonings)

Preparation

Step 1

Cut the pork off the bones, setting aside the bone to flavor the stew. Cut the pork into 1/2" size pieces.

In a med. size pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until lightly browned. Remove, break into pieces, and reserve. Add chorizo to pan and cook in the remaining bacon fat until lightly browned, caramelized and slightly smoking, about 4 minutes. Take chorizo out and reserve. Sprinkle pork chop cubes with salt & pepper to taste (oh, yeah, taste the raw meat). Add to pot and cook for about 5 minutes or until slightly brown. Remove and reserve.

Discard about half of the fat drippings, but leave any solids in the pan. Add the olive oil, onions and leeks. Saute until translucent but not brown, about 6 minutes.

Place half of the beans in a blender along with 2 c. of the chicken stock and blend until smooth. Add bean puree and the bay leaves to the sauteed leeks and onions. Add the remaining rinsed beans as well as the bacon, chorizo, diced pork and pork bones. Add one more c. of chicken stock. Cook on medium heat, uncovered, until boiling, abut 15 minutes, stirring from the bottom from time to time. Add the paprika if using. Season with salt and pepper to taste - remember the meats are already fairly salty.

Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally for another 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves and pork chop bones before serving in deep bowls.