Cozido a Portuguesa (Portuguese Boiled Meat and Vegetable Stew)

About This Recipe

Cozido a Portuguesa is a substantial, celebratory dish that brings together an array of meats — beef, pork, chicken and various sausages — simmered together with cabbage, carrots, potatoes and turnips in one large pot. Everything cooks in stages, with tougher meats and sausages going in first and vegetables added later so nothing turns to mush, the combined broth taking on deep, layered flavor from all the different proteins. Traditionally served as a full, multi-course meal, with the broth sometimes ladled separately over rice as a starter before the meats and vegetables are plated, cozido reflects Portugal's tradition of hearty, communal Sunday feasts.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 500 gbeef short ribs
• 500 gpork shoulder(cubed)
• 4chicken thighs
• 300 gchourico(whole links)
• 300 gmorcela (blood sausage)(whole links)
• 1onion(whole)
• 2bay leaves
• 10 cupswater
• 1.5 tspsalt
• 1cabbage(cut into wedges)
• 4carrots(cut into chunks)
• 4potatoes(peeled and halved)
• 2turnips(cut into chunks)

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the meats

   Combine beef, pork, chicken, onion, bay leaves and water in a very large pot; bring to a boil, skimming any foam.

2. 2

   Simmer

   Reduce heat and simmer 90 minutes until the beef and pork are becoming tender.

3. 3

   Add sausages

   Add chourico and morcela, simmering 20 more minutes.

4. 4

   Add sturdy vegetables

   Add carrots and turnips, simmering 15 minutes.

   Add the vegetables in stages according to their cooking time — sturdier root vegetables need longer than the quicker-cooking cabbage.

5. 5

   Add remaining vegetables

   Add potatoes and cabbage, simmering 20-25 more minutes until all the vegetables are tender.

6. 6

   Season

   Season the broth with salt to taste.

7. 7

   Serve

   Serve the meats and vegetables together on a large platter, with the broth served separately, often over rice as a first course.

Variations

• •

  Regional variations across Portugal include different combinations of meats and sausages depending on local tradition.

• •

  A simpler version uses fewer meats, focusing on just chicken, chourico and vegetables.

• •

  Some households add a bit of rice cooked directly in some of the reserved broth as a side dish.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container, storing meats, vegetables and broth separately if possible; it also freezes well for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions