In Trás-os-Montes, the pig slaughter in the depths of winter fills the smokehouses with butelo: fat sausages of pork stomach stuffed with chopped meat and bone, smoked and kept for Carnival season stews.
Butelo com casulas (butelo with dried bean pods) is the dish that follows, a thick, smoky stew built for the coldest weeks of the year, especially around Bragança. It sits alongside chanfana and posta à mirandesa (recipes on the site) as one of the dishes that define inland northern Portuguese cooking: slow, smoky and unfussy.
Real butelo is almost impossible to find in the US, so this version is built around a smoked ham hock and a good garlicky sausage, which gets remarkably close.
Butelo com Casulas Recipe
Ingredients
- For the beans:
- 1 pound dried large white beans, soaked overnight
- 1 bay leaf
- For the smoked meats:
- 1 smoked ham hock (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1 pound smoked kielbasa or Portuguese linguica, cut into thick rounds
- 8 ounces slab bacon, cut into large chunks
- 1 small piece salt pork (optional, if you can find it)
- For the stew:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium head cabbage or 1 bunch collard greens, roughly chopped
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- The night before, soak the dried beans in a large bowl of cold water; drain and rinse before cooking.
- Put the soaked beans in a large pot with a bay leaf, cover with fresh water by 2 inches, and simmer, uncovered, about 45 minutes, until just tender but not falling apart. Drain and set aside.
- In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, cover the ham hock, bacon, and salt pork (if using) with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook 1 hour, skimming off any foam.
- Add the kielbasa or linguica rounds and simmer 20 more minutes, until the meats are tender and the broth is deeply flavored.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, smoked paprika, and black pepper; cook 1 minute more.
- Transfer the onion mixture into the pot with the meats. Add the cooked beans, potatoes, and enough reserved bean liquid or water to keep everything just covered.
- Simmer uncovered 30 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the broth has thickened slightly.
- Stir in the cabbage or collard greens during the last 10 minutes, just until wilted but still bright.
- Remove the bay leaves, taste and adjust salt, and serve hot in deep bowls with crusty bread.
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