Fabes con Jabalí

Fabes con jabalí is Asturian mountain cooking: big fabes de la granja, wild boar from the monte, red wine, and a slow dark sofrito, the slow onion base that gives the stew its sweetness. Esto es de Asturias, no de "España" a secas. It is not fabada with a different meat thrown in. The beans should stay creamy and gentle, while the jabalí brings depth without taking over the pot.

The method that decides it is to cook the two parts apart. Jabalí needs wine and time to lose its hard edge; fabes need clean water, a cold start, and the barest tremble so their skins don't split. Braise the meat until a spoon can press it open, cook the beans until buttery, then marry them for the last half hour. Put the wine in with the beans too early and they turn stubborn. They won't thank you for it.

If you can't find jabalí where you are, use venison shoulder first; pork shoulder is the calmer substitute, good but less wild, so know what changes. If fabes de la granja are impossible, judión or a large cannellini will do, though the broth will be less buttery. No hace falta haber pisado España. My Margin beside this dish says only: "juntos al final," together at the end. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.