Verzada Asturiana

from“Clarita's Cocina” by Clarita del Palacio Valdes de Garcia

Ingredients:

• 1 small ham hock (optional)
• 2 chorizo sausages
• Quarter pound slab smoked bacon (optional)
• 2 morzillas(pork blood sausage, optional)
• 2 to 4 short ribs, fat removed, or: 1.5 pounds beef stew meat and 2 beef marrow bones
• Half medium onion
• Half medium green bell pepper
• 1 medium ripe tomato, or 2 dried tomatoes
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 pounds greens, washed,stemmed and chopped, any combination desired (mustards, chard, collards)
• 2 cans Great Northern or cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• Half teaspoon brown or raw sugar
• Salt, if needed

1. In a 2 .5 to 3 quart soup pot, place the meats and cover with water. Bring to a boil and skim several times to remove the foam or espuma.

1. Lower the heat and add the bell pepper, onion, tomato, garlic and bay leaf. Cover and cook over moderate heat until the meat is tender, approximately 1 hour.

1. Remove the meats to a platter. Discard the bones from the ribs and take the ham from the ham hock. Dice the meat. Remove the vegetables from the stock and discard.

1. Add the greens, beans, potatoes, sugar and meat to the stock. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook partially uncovered for 15 minutes.

1. Add salt to taste. Cover and cook one half hour longer on low heat. Add the thinly sliced chorizo and morzilla 10 minutes before turning off the heat.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.