Traditional Rancho

Serve Steaming Hot with Bread and Red Wine

Rancho is another dish from northern Portugal. Originally from Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (some say it has its roots in the city of Viseu, quickly spread to all the northern regions. It has a distinct rural identity (such as Caldo Verde from Minho). It's a comfort food that keeps you warm. It has a lot of energy and proteins and ideal combination if you need to work hard and keep warm in a cold environment.


Usually rancho is the word used in Portugal to name the meal in a military context. According to non verified accounts the name of this meal may have originated in a campaign for the defense of the linha do Buçaco during the civil war between liberals and absolutists by the military stationed in the city of Viseu.

This recipe originated in
Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro,
Portugal.

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves
2 onions
150ml olive oil
1/2 meat chouriço 
1/2 blood chouriço (morcela)
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 laurel leafs
3 cloves
300g of chuck or brisket beef
6 small pork hocks
150g pork loin
200g pork ribs
3 big mama or san marzano tomatoes
300ml meat broth
1L water
4 carrots
500g of rigatoni or penne
2 turnips
300g pumpkin
350g cabbage
500g chickpeas
1 inch of celery
50g parsley
1 teaspoon rosemary

Preparation 

You'll need 9h for preparation and one 1h cooking.

1. Leave the chickpeas in water for 8h to soften them. Leave the meats 8h in salt. Boil the chickpeas until tender tender. Alternatively buy them already boiled. If this is the case don't forget to wash them very thoroughly to rinse all the sodium and potassium used as preservatives.

2. Boil the beef and pork with salt until cooked. Aim for a very soft and tender meat in such a way there's almost no effort in chewing. Ideally cook for 1h in a pressure cooker for this.

3. Peel and slice the ingredients. The chouriços into slices. The vegetables into inch pieces. The cabbage coarsely sliced. Tie the parsley and rosemary together.

4. In a pan enough for 3 or more liters cover the bottom with the olive oil. Add the onion, peeled and smashed garlic, the laurel, the cloves, salt and the sliced chouriços. Let it fry until the chouriço slices look crispy.

5. Add the boiled meats, the carrots, the tomato and the broth and cook for 20 minutes in high heat.

6. Add the pasta, turnips, pumpkin, cabbage and chickpeas and cook in medium heat for 7 minutes.

7. Add the celery, parsley, the pepper and rosemary. You can add some chili or spearmint at this stage. You decide what aromas and flavors you wish to make predominant. Cook in low heat for another 4 minutes.Rectify salt if needed.