Estofado is usually a a hearty Spanish stew made up of meat and vegeatbles, I say vegetables but usually it is tomato, potato and carrot, often beans but not vegetables as in a minestrone! I have eaten many of these in Spain, mainly served as a Tapa or Racion and I must admit that once in a restaurant in Mallorca, I ordered the mixed racion which came with 4 different Spanish estofados and it was difficult to tell which was which, apart from the different meats used.
But I do love Fabada Asturiana and the difference between these two dishes is mainly the meat content and not there are no beans in this.
This dish I just love but it is my version of how a Spanish pork stew should taste. I use loads of the smoked paprika or pimentón as it is called and also a nice slug of dry sherry and some thickly sliced chorizo.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 600 – 700g pork shoulder
- Approx 200g Spanish chorizo sausage raw or cured, sliced roughly
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions, thickly sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- Plain flour seasoned with salt, pepper and smoked pimentón
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 3 or 4 carrots, peeled and cut into largish pieces
- 4-5 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
- 250ml dry sherry
- 3 tbsps sherry vinegar
- A good handful of fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp dulce smoked pimentón
- 1 tsp chili powder or flakes
- Salt and pepper to season
Preparation method:
Start off by chopping the pork into largish cubes and trimming off any excess fat, then remove the skin from the chorizo and slice it into rounds.
Roll the pork into the seasoned flour and shake off any excess then heat some oil in the casserole or pan and when it’s nice and hot hot add a few of the cubes of meat to brown well on all sides. Remove them to a plate then continue to brown the rest of the meat in small batches, adding a little more oil if required, if the pan is overcrowded the meat will not brown.
Now add the rest of the oil and fry the chorizo until the oil starts developing the reddish orange hue from the spices in the chorizo, then add the onions and soften them(about 6 minutes or so), then add the garlic and cook for another minute or two then stir in the rest of the flour to soak up the juices.
Next pour in the sherry and sherry vinegar and deglaze the pan to get all those bits off the bottom. Then return the meat to the casserole then add the tomatoes, the carrots and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle in the thyme and bay leaves and add then give everything a good stir.
Lastly bring the casserole up to a boil then turn down to a gentle simmer, put the lid on and either simmer on the stove top or transfer it to the centre of the oven at 160°c and cook for 2½ hours.
When the meat is really tender serve. I sometimes add the typical Spanish veg of either peas or green beans for the last half an hour of cooking.
Enjoy!