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Lacón con grelos
Cured pork shoulder with turnip tops
Lacón con grelos: Galician carnival feast of cured pork shoulder, turnip tops, chorizo and potatoes
Lacón con grelos is the great dish of Entroido, the Galician carnival, when restaurants in Lugo and A Coruña serve platters of it to tables of friends. This contains pork (cured pork shoulder and chorizo). The lacón is soaked, then simmered with chorizo, and turnip tops and potatoes are cooked in the same rich broth. It's served with olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika. A common mistake is skipping the soaking, which leaves the meat far too salty to eat. Chef's tip: save the cooking liquid, as it makes the base for a caldo the next day.
- Total time
- 170 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz cooking chorizo4 small sausages
- 2 ¼ lb potatoespeeled and halved
- 2 ¼ lb turnip tops (grelos) or cime di rapathick stalks trimmed
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Soak the 2 ⅝ lb lacón (cured pork shoulder) or a boneless gammon joint in plenty of cold water in the fridge, covered, for 24–36 hours, changing the water 3 times.
5 minStep 2: Put the lacón in a large pot, cover with fresh cold water and bring slowly to the boil. Skim, then simmer gently for 1¾–2 hours, until a skewer goes in easily and the centre reaches at least 160°F.
115 minStep 3: Add the 10 ½ oz cooking chorizo for the last 20 minutes, then lift out the meat and keep it warm, covered.
20 minStep 4: Bring the broth back to the boil and add 2 ¼ lb potatoes. Simmer 10 minutes, then add 2 ¼ lb turnip tops (grelos) or cime di rapa and cook 10–12 minutes more, until both are tender. Drain.
22 minStep 5: Slice the lacón and chorizo and lay them on a platter with the potatoes and greens. Drizzle everything with 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and dust the meat with 1 tsp sweet paprika.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 35 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does lacón con grelos take?
- About 170 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 150 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of sweet paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
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