Casúla transmontana

Editorial content from Empório Portugal. Traditional recipes may vary by region, family, and cook.

About the recipe

The casúla transmontana combines white beans, pork meats, and regional sausages in a long stew, with a smoky aroma and thick broth.

It is an heir to mountain cuisine, where the cold calls for hot dishes and the pantry of smoked meats dictates the menu.

As with many Portuguese recipes, there are variations by region, family, and cook — with or without blood sausage, different proportions of ear and trotters, and beans that are more or less creamy.

Ingredients

• 400 g of soaked white beans
• 300 g of casúla or pig's ear
• 200 g of chorizo
• 150 g of blood sausage
• 200 g of pork ribs
• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• Bay leaf, sweet paprika, olive oil, and pepper
• Water or broth to taste

Preparation method

1. Soak the beans the night before; drain the next morning.
2. In a clay or iron pot, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil.
3. Add the meats in pieces and let them brown; add paprika and mix.
4. Add the drained beans and cover with hot water two fingers above.
5. Bring to a boil, add bay leaf, and reduce to low heat; cook for one hour.
6. Incorporate chorizo and blood sausage in slices; continue for 30 minutes until the beans are creamy and the meats are tender.
7. Carefully adjust salt — the sausages already season the broth.
8. Serve very hot, with cornbread or plain white rice.

Tips from Empório Portugal

• Clay pot enhances the flavor and texture of the stew.
• Slow cooking prevents beans from bursting on the outside and being hard on the inside.
• Prepare in advance — the flavor improves the next day.

Possible substitutions in Brazil

• Red beans appear in family versions, with a sweeter profile.
• Pig's ear substitutes casúla when it is not available.

Pairing

Transmontano red wine or full-bodied green wine. For those over 18; drink in moderation.