Soul Food in Spain

Passport & Plate - Carcamusas Toledano (braised pork shoulder)

Spain | Monday, March 10, 2014 | 5 photos

Ingredients
Carcamusas Toledano
(AKA: Braised Pork Shoulder with Chorizo, Jamon, Tomato and Green Peas)

1 kilo Pork shoulder
3 tbsp Spanish olive oil
100g Jamon Serrano (Serrano ham), cut into small cubes
1 Medium Spanish onion, diced
3 Cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp Smoked paprika
Pinch Black pepper
5 Bay leaves
1 Large piece chorizo sausage
250 ml White wine
500 ml Tomato sauce (preferably homemade)
As needed Chicken stock or water
1 cup Green peas (preferably fresh)
As needed Salt/pepper

 

How to prepare this recipe
1. Cut Pork into large cubes approximately 1.5 inches square. Trim away any excess fat or silver skin.
2. Put 2 tbsp of olive oil into a large, heavy bottomed, stew pot over medium high heat.
3. Sear pork in hot oil until golden brown. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. The Pork will sear best in a single layer. Sear the meat in batches if necessary adding a little extra oil.
4. When the pork is golden brown, remove it from the pan and drain it on a paper kitchen towel. Turn the heat down to medium, add Jamon to the pan and cook until lightly browned, approximately 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the rest of the olive oil. Sauté the onions and sweat them for 4- 5 minutes until they are soft and translucent.
6. Add garlic, smoked paprika, black pepper and bay leaves. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
7. Add the white wine and tomato sauce to the pan. Add enough chicken stock or water to completely cover the meat and vegetables. Bring the pot to a simmer.
8. Cover and simmer slowly for 1.5 hours or until the meat easily falls apart under the pressure of a fork.
9. Remove any fat from the top of the sauce by carefully running a spoon or ladle along the sides of the pan.
10. Add the green peas and cook for 4-5 minutes.
11. Remove the chorizo, slice it into medallions and add it back to the stew.
12. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve family style with good bread.

 

The story behind this recipe
It was early winter and the sun was shining when we arrived in Toledo. Red brick and white stone lead us up the hill to the city center. Long walks through cobbled streets and cool winter air turned us ravenous and so we piled into a little restaurant hiding down a narrow street.
We ordered wine, warm dates wrapped in ham and generously stuffed with cheese, pistou manchego and carcamusas. Now, I have always loved how simple ingredients are transformed by low temperatures and long cooking times so when a little red clay pot of bubbling stew was sat in front of me I became giddy. School child giddy, as if I got the one thing I wanted for Christmas. Tender bits of pork jiggled beneath a rich sauce of tomato and peas. Bits of chorizo and jamon lurked in the corners of the dish like little surprises waiting to be discovered. The first bite was magic. You could taste the love that made this dish. Not simply the patient resolve required to properly layer the flavors but the history that made it a classic. Chorizo that was cured and hung for days to reach peak flavor and jamon that was washed and aged for months. Each bite took me into the past. Each bite made me smile. Happy and satisfied we continued our journey through Toledo. We saw museums, cathedrals and mosques, drank good coffee and beer and it was good, but at the end of day, sitting quietly on the train home, I was thinking about carcamusas. I was smiling to myself. I had found something good.
Making this dish is quite simple. Start with good quality pork and it is hard to fail. Chorizo in Spain comes in many varieties. Jamon Serrano is typical but any one will do. Pick your favorites and you can’t go wrong. Searing the meat is vital as it is the key to developing flavor. Simmer the meat gently and remember to add the peas at the end, not the beginning. Overcooked vegetables are no fun.
Carcamusas is a combination of flavors that are used throughout Spain in countless dishes. Each bite is an adventure.