Since this is the cold season, we
thought we would remind you of a classic Romanian dish, the very definition of
comfort food for cold winter days. Be warned, it is not a vegetarian dish
originally, but by eliminating the meat part, you can easily turn it
vegetarian, even vegan. We are talking about bean stew with smoked pork. You
can use whatever kind of smoked meat you want, such as ribs, or even sausage.
It is so popular, that during winter celebrations, cities organise fairs where
they make it in large quantities and distribute it to fair-goers.
It is a rather easy dish to make,
because the only time-consuming part is getting the dried beans soaked. Leave
at least half a kilo of beans to soak overnight. It is a well-known fact that
the best stew is made in a large cauldron, as they do in the army or in
monasteries, but you can easily make a very tasty stew at home too.
For half a kilo of beans, take 2
medium onions, 2 carrots, tomato juice, 2 bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt to
taste. Boil the beans for about 10 minutes, change the water, then repeat this
twice. Boil for the last time for 30 minutes, then add in the carrots, sliced,
and the bay leaves. Separately chop finely the onion, then sweat it in oil,
then add it to the bean mixture, along with tomato juice and peppercorns to
taste, and when the beans are soft, add salt to taste, then finely chopped
fresh parsley.
When adding the ingredients, you can
use the smoked pork, such as leg, ribs, or sausage. If you use smoked leg of
pork, you have to boil it separately before using, until you can shred the meat
off the bone, adding it to your stew. If you want, you can cook the beans
without meat, then use it as a side dish for grilled sausages.
Serve hot, with pickles and a
semi-dry wine at room temperature. Enjoy!