Perfect for Fall: Cocido ala Gabriel

It's funny how dishes get created and how the "what's for dinner" question gets answered.  Some people read magazines, some tap into the dishes they know and love, and some like me have an abundance of pig's ears.

After all of the charcuterie stuff of the past week, I have some odd bits.  Then on Twitter, Cynthia Nims was talking about lamb shoulder blade steaks and that made me think of chickpeas and that made me think of tomatoes, which brought me to saffron and rosemary, and and and... um, yeah.  A little convoluted, but the results were delicious.

Cocido is traditionally a Northern Spanish fall/winter pig and chickpea dish.  I have taken many many liberties with the dish (being that I have never actually read a recipe, but just a description in a novel) and have actually crossed it with Olla Gitana, which is the Andalusian Gypsy Stew.

Cocido ala Gabriel (feeds an army, kids loved it)

peas
1# dried chickpeas
2 quarts water
1 jar of piquillo peppers, pureed
10 cloves garlic

This isn't mine.  We ate mine.  My recipe is much more red
with the tomatoes and piquillos.

5 sprigs thyme
1 big sprig rosemary
chunk of prosciutto fat
fat pinch saffron
1 tsp toasted cumin
1 cinnamon stick

Bring all ingredients up to a boil in a big pot, then simmer for one hour.  Meanwhile:

meats
6 large chunks oxtail
2 lamb shoulder blade steaks
1/2 # pork belly, cut into 1" cubes
2 pigs ears
4"x6" section of pig skin, some fat still attached, cut into strips
3 T smoked spanish paprika
3 T olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Season all meats with salt and pepper and brown in the olive oil.  remove from pan and add to the chick peas.  In the remaining fat saute the paprika until darker and aromatic.  Scrape into the pot.

Stew: 
1 large can of tomato puree
2 quarts chicken stock
2 large ripe pears
1/2 small sugar pie pumpkin, peeled, diced

Add all of this to the pot and simmer gently for 2 hours until the meats and chickpeas are very tender.  Adjust seasoning with salt and sherry vinegar. Add:

Finish
4 bunches of mustard greens, chopped
5 slices stale bread, chopped

add the finish ingredients (and green beans if you want, my kids were pissed I forgot them).  Simmer for 15 minutes until very tender.  Stir in:

Picada
2 bunches parsley, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 C toasted sliced almonds, minced

Adjust seasoning and serve with Rioja and bread.  It helps to parse it out into a bowl of greens (from the top) a bowl of meats (guests should be encouraged to pick up the meats and nibble them) and then the rich soup.