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Alubias de Tolosa
Black beans with chorizo and pork
Alubias de Tolosa: Gipuzkoa's creamy black beans with chorizo, morcilla and pork belly
Tolosa, in the Oria valley, celebrates its dark purple-black beans every autumn, and the town's restaurants serve them in clay pots with the 'sacramentos' on the side: chorizo, morcilla and pork belly, plus cabbage and pickled guindillas. This contains pork (chorizo, morcilla and pork belly). The beans are cooked very slowly with only onion and oil until creamy and the broth is thick and dark. A common mistake is boiling the beans hard, which splits their skins; they should barely tremble. Chef's tip: add a splash of cold water three times while they cook ('scaring' the beans), which keeps the skins tender and whole.
- Total time
- 195 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the beans
- 1 ⅛ lb dried Tolosa black beans (or other black beans)soaked overnight in cold water
- 1 onionhalved
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 8 ¼ cups cold water
- 1 ½ tsp salt
For the sacramentos
- 10 ½ oz fresh pork bellyin one piece
- 7 oz cooking chorizo
To serve
- 14 oz green cabbage (optional)shredded and boiled
- 12 pickled guindilla peppers (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain the 1 ⅛ lb dried Tolosa black beans (or other black beans) and put them in a large pot with 1 onion, 4 tbsp olive oil and the 8 ¼ cups cold water. Bring slowly to the boil over a medium heat, skimming off any foam.
15 minStep 2: Turn the heat as low as it goes and cook, partly covered, at the barest simmer for 2–3 hours. Three times during cooking, add a small glass of cold water to stop the simmer. Stir gently with a wooden spoon rather than a metal one.
150 minStep 3: After the beans have cooked for 1 hour, add the 10 ½ oz fresh pork belly. After 2 hours, add the 7 oz cooking chorizo. Lift out the onion, mash it and stir it back in to thicken the broth.
5 minStep 4: For the last 20 minutes, add the 7 oz morcilla (Basque blood sausage), keeping it at a very gentle simmer so it doesn't burst. Season with 1 ½ tsp salt once the beans are completely creamy inside.
20 minStep 5: Check that the pork belly is tender and has reached 160°F at the centre, and the sausages are hot right through. Lift out the meats, slice them and serve on a separate plate with the beans, cabbage and guindillas.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 54 g
- Fat
- 34 g
- Fibre
- 16 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does alubias de Tolosa take?
- About 195 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 180 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of dried tolosa black beans (or other black beans)?
- Kidney or pinto beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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