Rancho à Moda de Viseu (Chickpea, Meat and Pasta Stew)
- Prep
- 10 min
- Total
- 1 h 40 min
- Servings
- 6
- Calories
- 580 kcal
When the cold sets in and the fog comes down, rancho à moda de Viseu appears on the table. It’s a country dish, from the days when one big pot held every ingredient.
It’s said to have been made to feed many people at once, soldiers or groups of workers, in the cold months. In Viseu, with variations around the country, the pot took whatever the garden and the salting tub provided. It’s a classic of the Beira Alta and a dish for celebrations and gatherings.
Recipe
Rancho à Moda de Viseu
A filling one-pot dish from the Beira: chickpeas, potatoes, veal, linguiça and cured ham with paprika, finished with short pasta. For bringing the family to the table.
Ingredients
Method
- 1Soak the chickpeas the day before.
- 2Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Set aside.
- 3Cook the chickpeas with the meats, seasoned with salt. When the chickpeas are almost cooked, add the potatoes.
- 4Dissolve the paprika in a little cold water in a small bowl and add it to the pot. Add the chili and take out the meat. Cut the meat into cubes and add the pasta.
- 5When the pasta is cooked, adjust the seasoning and serve.
Tips
Rancho is neither liquid like a soup nor dry: it’s a thick, brothy stew, close to a feijoada. Cook the meats until tender; the pasta cooks at the end in that broth.
The starch in the pasta thickens the rancho as it cools. Take it off the heat while it still looks a little loose and wait five minutes before serving.
There are versions with pork belly, chouriço, blood sausage, cabbage and carrot. For a lighter rancho, use less pork.
