Well balanced and nourishing, this Valencian puchero recipe will show you how to make a simple yet hearty Spanish stew that is sure to warm you up on a cold winter’s day.
1bunchartichoke thistle leaf(also known as cardoons)
2large beef bones
2mediumboniatos
1/4chickeneither breast and wing or hind quarter
1lbstewing beefin one large piece
1squarepork fatbackaka. tocino
1pilotause any meatball recipe of your choice
1pinchsaffronfor coloring and flavor
garbanzospre-soaked overnight (optional, traditional, non paleo addition)
Instructions
Prepare your vegetables by peeling the radish, turnip, rutabaga, carrots, and boniatos and placing them in a pressure cooker along with the bones, meats and other cleaned vegetables.
If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can also make this is a large pot on the stove or in a slow cooker. Obviously both methods will take longer than the pressure cooker method. I've successfully made puchero using all 3 methods, though.
Fill the pot with water, fully covering all of the meat and vegetables, and close the pressure cooker.
Cook for around 45 minutes to an hour. On my pressure cooker I use the legumes/tendons setting. Sometimes, though, if I'm using a large piece of beef, that isn't a long enough setting to make the beef tender so I've often had to cook the beef for a little longer in a separate pot. (I usually make puchero in the early morning, so it's ready for a hearty lunch.) If making puchero on the stovetop, cook for several hours until the meat and vegetables are tender. In the slow cooker, cook for 6-8 hours, depending on your cooker and the setting used.
Place the bones, meats, and vegetables on a large platter and serve it in the center of the table so that people can take what they like form the platter and eat it in their soup.
Strain out the broth and serve in bowls. You can serve as is, or you can make a rice dish with the broth.
My son likes it when I make rice with the broth. To do so, bring the broth to a boil. Once boiling, add in some rice and cook for around 15-20 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked. Serve immediately. (Many people also use thin pasta noodles instead of the rice.)
Whether you make rice or not, serve the soup to each person, leaving the big platter of meats and vegetables in the center of the table. Some people like to place meat and vegetables into their soup or rice, others prefer to eat the soup first and then eat the meat and vegetables. Either way, this is a wonderful meal for a cold, winter day!
Video
Notes
Most people here use artificial yellow coloring to make their puchero an unnatural shade of yellow. In fact, they sell jars of yellow coloring powder in the spice section for that very purpose. I suppose the strange tradition started when they realized that saffron was expensive and decided to switch some or all of it out in their paellas and other rice dishes. Unfortunately they tend to go overboard with it. I did not use any artificial coloring in my pictures above, and I see no need to add in any more color; I think it's beautiful as it is. Just having used a mix of vegetables and a healthy corral chicken in my stew was enough to turn it a natural shade of yellow on its own. I didn't even use saffron, but if you would like to brighten up the color of your puchero, that is what I would recommend you use.