Carne ó Caldeiro

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large heavy pot or caldeiro, 6 to 8 litres
• •Skimming spoon
• •Warm wooden serving board or broad platter
• •Sharp carving knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the beef

   Put the falda, beef shin, unto, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, and fine salt in a large heavy pot. Cover with cold water by 4cm, about 3 litres. Bring it up slowly over medium heat. Starting cold lets the meat season the broth as it warms, which is what the potatoes will need later.

   If you cannot find unto, use a small strip of unsmoked pork fatback. Do not use smoked bacon; it takes the dish somewhere else.
2. 2

   Skim and simmer

   When foam rises, skim it off with a spoon until the surface looks clean. Lower the heat so the water barely trembles, cover the pot partly, and cook for 2 hours, turning the meat once or twice. Do not let it roll hard. A hard boil tightens the beef; a quiet simmer leaves it tender and gives you a clean, savoury broth.

3. 3

   Test the meat

   After 2 hours, push a small knife into the thickest piece of beef. It should slide in easily but the meat should not be falling apart into strings. If it resists, give it another 20 to 30 minutes. Lift the onion out and discard it. Taste the broth and correct the salt now, before the potatoes go in.

4. 4

   Cook the potatoes

   Add the potato chunks to the pot, keeping them mostly under the broth. Simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender through and their edges have softened a little. They should hold their shape but taste of the beef broth, not just of potato. Pésalo, no lo adivines: big uneven pieces cook badly.

5. 5

   Slice the beef

   Lift the beef to a board and let it rest for 5 minutes. Slice the falda across the grain into thick pieces and pull the shin into large chunks, removing bone and tough gristle. Keep the potatoes warm in a little of the broth while you cut. Save the broth; it is not for pouring away.

6. 6

   Dress and serve

   Arrange the potatoes and beef on a warm wooden board or a broad platter. Spoon over 2 or 3 tablespoons of the hot broth, then drizzle with the olive oil. Dust with the sweet pimentón, add the hot pimentón if you want a little bite, and finish with coarse salt. Serve at once, with bread for the red oil and broth at the edge.

Chef Tips

• •Use two cuts if you can: falda for the long fibres and deep beef flavour, shin or jarrete for gelatin. Only lean stewing beef will cook, yes, but the broth will be thinner.
• •Pimentón de la Vera matters here because there are so few ingredients. Sweet is the base; a little picante is fine. Do not add it to the boiling pot. Dress the meat at the end so it stays fragrant and red, not dull and bitter.
• •The potatoes should be waxy or all-purpose, not floury baking potatoes. Cut them large so they cook through without collapsing into the broth.
• •A copper caldeiro is the old vessel, but a heavy stainless-steel or enamel pot works well. What matters is a steady low simmer and enough room for the potatoes to sit in the broth.
• •Serve the leftover broth the next day with noodles, rice, or a few greens. A Galician kitchen does not throw away a pot that already gave its flavour.

Advance Preparation

• •The beef can be simmered 1 day ahead and cooled in its broth. Chill it covered, then lift off any set fat you do not want before reheating gently.
• •Cook the potatoes on the day you serve. Potatoes left overnight in the broth turn heavy and lose their clean edge.
• •If making ahead for a large table, reheat the sliced meat in a little broth over low heat, never at a hard boil, then dress with oil, pimentón, and coarse salt just before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)