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Rancho à minhota
Chickpea, meat and macaroni stew
Rancho à minhota: hearty Viana stew of chickpeas, mixed meats, cabbage and macaroni
Rancho was the food of farmhands at harvest time around Viana do Castelo: one huge pot of chickpeas, beef, pork, chicken and chouriço, with cabbage, potatoes and short macaroni cooked in the broth to stretch it further. It is now a winter favourite in family restaurants, eaten from deep plates with plenty of the cooking liquid. This contains pork (pork belly and chouriço). Chef's tip: add the pasta only ten minutes before serving and keep the stew loose, as the macaroni soaks up broth fast.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 14 oz dried chickpeassoaked overnight and drained
- 1 ⅛ lb beef shincut into large chunks
- 10 ½ oz pork bellyin one piece
- 1 Portuguese chouriçoabout 150 g
- 14 ½ cups water
- 2 onionschopped
- 3 cloves garlicchopped
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 ⅛ lb potatoespeeled, cut into chunks
- 2 carrotssliced
- ½ savoy cabbageshredded
- 7 oz short macaroni
- 2 tsp salt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put the 14 oz dried chickpeas, 1 ⅛ lb beef shin, 10 ½ oz pork belly and 2 bay leaves in a very large pot with the 14 ½ cups water. Bring to the boil, skim, and simmer gently for 1 hour.
65 minStep 2: Add the 4 bone-in chicken thighs and 1 Portuguese chouriço and simmer for another 40 minutes, until the beef is tender, the chickpeas are creamy inside and the chicken reaches 165°F.
40 minStep 3: Lift out all the meat. Cut the beef, pork and chicken into bite-sized pieces (discarding chicken bones and skin) and slice the chouriço.
10 minStep 4: In a frying pan, cook the 2 onions and 3 cloves garlic in the 4 tbsp olive oil for 8 minutes until soft, then stir in the 1 tbsp tomato purée and 1 tsp sweet paprika for 1 minute. Tip this into the pot.
10 minStep 5: Add the 1 ⅛ lb potatoes, 2 carrots, ½ savoy cabbage and 2 tsp salt and simmer for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are nearly tender.
15 minStep 6: Stir in the 7 oz short macaroni and the meat and cook for 10 minutes more, until the pasta is tender. A common mistake is letting it thicken into a dry mass: add hot water so it stays brothy, then serve straight away.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 650 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rancho à minhota take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 150 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of dried chickpeas?
- Cannellini or butter beans, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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