Tolosa red beans with chorizo, morcilla and pork belly
Tolosa red beans simmered very slowly with nothing but onion and oil until creamy in a dark broth, served with their 'sacramentos' – chorizo, morcilla and pork belly cooked separately – cabbage fried with garlic and pickled guindilla peppers. A winter dish from Gipuzkoa in the Basque Country.
- 14 h 46Time
- 22 minHands-on
- 4Portions
- 47 gprotein per portion
- 960kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 400 gDried kidney beans, ideally Tolosa beans
- 1Yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 tbspOlive oil, for the beans
- ≈ 2 lWater, cold
- to tasteSalt
- 2Spanish chorizos
- 1Spanish blood sausage (morcilla), ideally Basque
- 100 gSalted pork belly, in one piece
On the side
- 600 gKale, or Savoy cabbage, shredded
- 3 clovesGarlic, sliced
- 2 tbspOlive oil, for the cabbage
- 12Pickled guindilla peppers (piparras)
Method
- The night before, soak the beans in plenty of cold water.
- Drain the beans and put them in a pot with the onion and oil. Pour over the cold water and bring to the boil over a medium heat, skimming off any foam.
- Turn the heat right down, cover and simmer for about 2½ hours, until the beans are tender and the broth thick and dark. Don't stir: shake the pot now and then, and add a splash of cold water whenever the beans are no longer covered.
- Meanwhile, simmer the chorizo and pork belly in another pan of water for 30 minutes. Add the morcilla for the last 15 minutes and keep it at a gentle simmer so it doesn't burst.
- Cook the cabbage in salted water for 15 minutes, until tender, and drain well.
- Fry the garlic in the oil in a frying pan until golden, add the drained cabbage and sauté for 3–4 minutes. Season with salt.
- Taste the beans and only now add salt. If the broth is thin, crush a few beans against the side of the pot to thicken it.
- Cut the sausages and pork belly into pieces. Serve the beans in deep plates, with the chorizo, morcilla and pork belly on the side, along with the cabbage and pickled guindillas.
