Recipes
Pote de Berzas con Pantrucu (Pork Stew With Greens and Cornmeal Dumplings)
Pancetta, pork ribs, and sausages come together in this hearty dish from Spain’s northern coast.
- Serves
6–8
- Time
2 hours 45 minutes
Fabada is typically considered the signature Asturian dish, but many locals secretly prefer pote. Like paella, terrine, and other dishes named after the vessel in which they’re cooked, pote refers to an iron pot, traditionally placed on a trivet over a fire. Though it shares some of its ingredients with fabada, pote includes a wider variety of meats, along with potatoes and berzas (a leafy brassica local to Spain, akin to collard greens) as its fundamental ingredient. Here, chef Aida Rosales of Casa Eutimio in Llastres, Spain, uses a combination of morcilla and chorizo, which can be sourced from a Spanish retailer such as Despaña.
Featured in “Meet Spain’s Queens of Comfort Food” by Paul Richardson.
Ingredients
For the stew:
- 5 oz. collard greens, lacinato kale, or turnip greens, cleaned, stemmed, and thinly sliced
- 12 oz. pancetta, sliced into ½-in.-long strips
- 12 oz. pork ribs, cut into individual riblets and halved crosswise
- 1½ cups dried fabes de la Granja, or other large white beans, soaked 12–24 hours and drained
- Four 6-in. morcillas (Spanish blood sausages) (10 oz.)
- Three 6-in. Spanish-style chorizo sausages (10 oz.)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp. pimentón (smoked Spanish paprika)
- 2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-in. cubes
- 1 tsp. saffron threads
- Crusty bread, for serving
For the dumplings:
- 2 oz. uncured pork belly fat, finely chopped
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. pimentón
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ½ medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup fine cornmeal
- Olive oil, for frying
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Instructions
Step 1
Make the stew: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the collard greens and cook until just tender, 2–3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Step 2
Return the empty pot to the stove and add the pancetta, ribs, fabes, and enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer, adding water as necessary to cover, until the beans are nearly soft, 1–2 hours.
Step 3
To the pot, add the morcillas and chorizos and continue cooking until the sausages are cooked through, about 30 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the sausages to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, slice into 1-inch-thick rounds and set aside.
Step 4
Meanwhile, make the dumplings: In a large bowl, stir together the pork belly fat, salt, pimentón, egg, and onion. Using your hands, mix in ¼ cup of the cornmeal at a time until a firm, sticky dough forms. Divide the dough into 2-tablespoon portions. Shape each portion into a 2-inch-long oblong dumpling, keeping the portions and the dumplings covered with a damp kitchen towel as you work.
Step 5
To a large skillet over medium-high heat, add ¼ inch of oil. When it’s hot and shimmering, working in batches, fry the dumplings, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over, 3–5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper -towel-lined plate and set aside.
Step 6
Carefully pour off most of the oil, leaving about ¼ cup in the skillet. Add the garlic and cook, stirring continuously, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the pimentón, cook for 10–15 seconds, then pour the seasoned oil into the pot with the pork and beans. Add the boiled greens, potatoes, and saffron, and additional water as needed to cover the ingredients. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender when poked with a fork, about 30 minutes. Add the dumplings and the sliced sausages and continue cooking until the dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Ladle into bowls and serve hot with crusty bread.
- Make the stew: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the collard greens and cook until just tender, 2–3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Return the empty pot to the stove and add the pancetta, ribs, fabes, and enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer, adding water as necessary to cover, until the beans are nearly soft, 1–2 hours.
- To the pot, add the morcillas and chorizos and continue cooking until the sausages are cooked through, about 30 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the sausages to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, slice into 1-inch-thick rounds and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the dumplings: In a large bowl, stir together the pork belly fat, salt, pimentón, egg, and onion. Using your hands, mix in ¼ cup of the cornmeal at a time until a firm, sticky dough forms. Divide the dough into 2-tablespoon portions. Shape each portion into a 2-inch-long oblong dumpling, keeping the portions and the dumplings covered with a damp kitchen towel as you work.
- To a large skillet over medium-high heat, add ¼ inch of oil. When it’s hot and shimmering, working in batches, fry the dumplings, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over, 3–5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper -towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Carefully pour off most of the oil, leaving about ¼ cup in the skillet. Add the garlic and cook, stirring continuously, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the pimentón, cook for 10–15 seconds, then pour the seasoned oil into the pot with the pork and beans. Add the boiled greens, potatoes, and saffron, and additional water as needed to cover the ingredients. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender when poked with a fork, about 30 minutes. Add the dumplings and the sliced sausages and continue cooking until the dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Ladle into bowls and serve hot with crusty bread.
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