Arroz a la Zamorana

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide heavy cazuela or 30cm shallow pan
• •Medium pot for the pork broth
• •Fine grater for the tomato
• •Ladle

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the broth

   Put the pig's ear or pork hock in a pot with 1.6 litres water, the bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring it up gently, skim the surface, then simmer until the meat is tender and the broth has body, about 1 hour for ear or 1 hour 20 minutes for hock. Lift out the meat, chop it small, and keep the broth hot. You need about 1.2 litres for the rice.

2. 2

   Brown the pork

   Set a wide cazuela or heavy pan over medium heat with the olive oil. Brown the pork ribs well on all sides, then add the panceta and cook until the edges take colour and the fat begins to run. Add the chorizo for the last 2 minutes only, just enough to stain the oil red without hardening it.

   If the chorizo gives off a lot of fat, spoon away a little, but leave enough red oil for the sofrito. That oil is part of the dish.
3. 3

   Cook the sofrito

   Lower the heat and add the onion and red pepper to the same pan. Cook slowly for 15 to 18 minutes, scraping the browned pork bits from the bottom, until the onion is dark gold and sweet and the pepper has softened. Add the garlic for 1 minute, then stir in the grated tomato and cook until the liquid has nearly disappeared. This slow base is where the rice gets depth.

4. 4

   Bloom the pimenton

   Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the sweet pimenton and oregano for a few seconds, just until the oil turns deep red and smells warm. Do not let the pimenton fry hard or it will turn bitter. Pour in 1.2 litres of the hot pork broth right away, then return the pan to the heat.

5. 5

   Cook the rice

   Add the chopped ear or hock, the browned pork, and the rice. Stir once to spread everything evenly, taste the broth for salt, then simmer over medium heat for 16 to 18 minutes. Keep it bubbling steadily and move the pan only enough to stop sticking. The rice should be tender with a little bite and still loose in its glossy broth, meloso, not dry.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Take the cazuela off the heat when the rice is just done and there is still a little broth around it. Rest 5 minutes. It will thicken as it sits, so do not wait too long to serve. Spoon it into shallow bowls with ribs, panceta, chorizo, and the gelatinous pork in every serving. Pruébalo, y ya veremos. The pot usually answers for itself.

Chef Tips

• •Use a round short-grain rice, preferably bomba or Calasparra. If you use arborio at a pinch, stir less and watch the liquid closely; it releases more starch, so the finish will be creamier and less clean.
• •The pimenton goes in off the heat. This is not fussiness. Scorched paprika tastes bitter, and no amount of good pork fixes it afterward.
• •Pig's ear gives the old Zamora texture, a little gelatine and chew. If you cannot get it, a small pork hock is the honest substitute; the broth will be rich, but less firm under the tooth.
• •This rice is best eaten soon after resting. Leftovers keep well, but the grain keeps drinking broth, so reheat gently with a splash of water.

Advance Preparation

• •The pork broth can be made up to 2 days ahead. Chill it, lift off any excess fat if you like, and bring it back to a simmer before adding it to the rice.
• •The sofrito and browned meats can be prepared a few hours ahead. Stop before adding the rice, then finish the dish shortly before serving so the grain stays meloso.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 560g)