Red Beans of Tolosa Stew

Preparation Place beans in a large bowl or pot and fill with water at least 2 inches past the top of beans. Soak overnight. Drain and rinse. Place in a pot, adding enough water to cover beans. Boil until a foam rises to the top. Remove from heat, and pour off foamy top liquid. Heat olive oil in a large pot or casserole dish over medium-high heat. Quickly brown the surface of the ribs. Add salt pork or bacon, and onion, stirring quickly for 3 minutes. Add garlic, and sauté until garlic begins to turn a straw color. Pour in beans and add enough water to cover all. Cover and simmer on low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are cooked through and centers are no longer tough. Add chorizo and continue to cook for 30 minutes. At this time, cook the morcilla separately in a pan with just enough water for them to simmer, and cook, covered, for 30 minutes. When the beans are done, season with salt and pepper, if needed. Just prior to serving, remove and cut into sections, pork ribs, salt pork/ bacon, and chorizo sausages, if whole. Also cut morcilla sausage into sections. Serve the beans, including a piece of pork rib, chorizo, and some morcilla in each serving. Extra! Tips from Epicurious:• Morcilla cebolla (also called morcilla negra), a blood sausage from the Basque country, is available at spanishtable.com. Other types of blood sausage can be substituted, although varieties from the Caribbean will be very spicy, which is not ideal for this stew. If you cannot find blood sausage, substitute any artisanal sausage, especially one made with duck. • Add a pinch of baking soda to the cooking water to make the beans more tender. • To avoid a bitter flavor in the finished dish, remove the germ of the garlic (the green sprout sometimes found in the middle) before you chop the cloves. Reprinted with permission from Tastes of the Pyrenees by Marina Chang. © 2003 Hippocrene Books

Preparation Place beans in a large bowl or pot and fill with water at least 2 inches past the top of beans. Soak overnight. Drain and rinse. Place in a pot, adding enough water to cover beans. Boil until a foam rises to the top. Remove from heat, and pour off foamy top liquid. Heat olive oil in a large pot or casserole dish over medium-high heat. Quickly brown the surface of the ribs. Add salt pork or bacon, and onion, stirring quickly for 3 minutes. Add garlic, and sauté until garlic begins to turn a straw color. Pour in beans and add enough water to cover all. Cover and simmer on low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are cooked through and centers are no longer tough. Add chorizo and continue to cook for 30 minutes. At this time, cook the morcilla separately in a pan with just enough water for them to simmer, and cook, covered, for 30 minutes. When the beans are done, season with salt and pepper, if needed. Just prior to serving, remove and cut into sections, pork ribs, salt pork/ bacon, and chorizo sausages, if whole. Also cut morcilla sausage into sections. Serve the beans, including a piece of pork rib, chorizo, and some morcilla in each serving. Extra! Tips from Epicurious:• Morcilla cebolla (also called morcilla negra), a blood sausage from the Basque country, is available at spanishtable.com. Other types of blood sausage can be substituted, although varieties from the Caribbean will be very spicy, which is not ideal for this stew. If you cannot find blood sausage, substitute any artisanal sausage, especially one made with duck. • Add a pinch of baking soda to the cooking water to make the beans more tender. • To avoid a bitter flavor in the finished dish, remove the germ of the garlic (the green sprout sometimes found in the middle) before you chop the cloves. Reprinted with permission from Tastes of the Pyrenees by Marina Chang. © 2003 Hippocrene Books