Andalusian Stew (Berza Andaluza)

By FoodPornDirector

From LA Times. Originally the recipe called for morcilla which is a blood sausage and not that easy to find, so I have made some substitutions as recommended by the recipe

Ingredients

• 2 quarts hot water
• 3/4 pound beef shin or brisket
• 1/2 pound meaty pork spareribs, cut crosswise into short lengths
• Small piece of hambone (optional)
• 2 ounces pancetta
• 1 (1-pound) bunch of Swiss chard, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 pound pumpkin or winter squash, cut in chunks
• 6 ounces spicy sausage such as chorizo or andouille
• 5 peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

Details

Cooking time 120mins
Adapted from latimes.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Place the drained chickpeas in a large soup pot with the hot water. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off the froth. Add the beef, pork ribs, hambone and pancetta. When the water comes to a boil again, reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour.

2. Stir the chard, carrot and pumpkin in with the beans. Prick the morcilla several times with a toothpick or skewer (so it doesn't pop as it cooks) and add it to the pot. Place the peppercorns in a sachet and add them to the pot, along with the salt. Cover again and continue to gently simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Stir in the potatoes, cover and gently simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove several chunks of potatoes and pumpkin and mash them smooth. Stir the mash back into the pot to thicken the broth.

4. Remove the stew from heat and set it aside for about 10 minutes to marry the flavors. Remove the meats from the stew. Cut the meats into pieces (remove the bones), then stir the pieces back in with the stew. Remove the sachet, taste and season the stew if desired. Serve the chickpeas, meats, vegetables and broth in shallow soup dishes.