Cocido montañés – Cantabrian bean stew with cabbage and pork

Sort through the beans, rinse them and put them in a large bowl. Pour over 1500 g cold water for soaking only. Cover and refrigerate for about 12 hours, leaving room for the beans to swell. The soaking water will be discarded later.

Drain off the soaking water and rinse the soaked beans in a sieve. Weigh the rib meat and fresh pork belly without bones and skin, keeping the edible fat, then cut into pieces about 3 cm across. Weigh the chorizo and morcilla after removing any inedible casings; leave them in larger pieces so they are easier to lift out after cooking. Chop the onion and garlic. Cut the washed cabbage leaves into thin strips.

Put the beans, rib meat and fresh pork belly in a pot that holds about 6 liters. Pour in the weighed 1400 g fresh water. Bring to the boil, which usually takes about 10–15 minutes, then boil briskly for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

Cover the pot and simmer over a low heat for about 90–120 minutes, until the beans are almost tender and the pork has softened noticeably. Stir gently from the bottom occasionally so it does not stick. All the broth and rendered fat stay in the pot. The time depends on the variety and age of the beans; if they are still firm, continue cooking with the lid on before adding the cabbage.

Near the end of the beans' cooking time, heat all the oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and cook gently for about 8 minutes until soft, then add the garlic for about a minute. Take the pan off the heat, add the sweet paprika and stir briefly. Pour in the remaining 200 g weighed water and scrape the flavorful bits from the bottom with a spatula, keeping the entire contents for the pot.

Add the cabbage to the almost tender beans in batches, allowing the leaves to wilt into the hot broth. Add the chorizo, all the sofrito with the liquid from the pan and all the weighed salt. Gently combine. Cover and simmer over a low heat for about 20 minutes.

Put the morcilla in the pot and cook for about another 20 minutes over a low heat, without a rolling boil, so the delicate blood sausage does not fall apart. Although it is precooked during production, morcilla needs further cooking. If the package specifies a longer time, follow it. By the end, the beans and cabbage should be completely soft and the meat tender; extend the gentle cooking time if needed.

Use a wide spoon to lift the chorizo and morcilla onto a plate. Carefully cut into pieces to divide among six servings, then return them to the pot with all the juices from the plate. Stir gently. Remove the pot from the heat, cover and leave for about 10 minutes for the flavors to come together.

Divide the hot cocido montañés among six deep plates or bowls. Give each serving beans, cabbage, pieces of pork, chorizo and morcilla with the thick broth. Use all the broth and meat and serve without additional ingredients.