Cozido à Portuguesa
Cozido à portuguesa represents a complete sample of Portuguese cuisine in a single meal, a tradition that varies from region to region but keeps its core philosophy: nothing from the pig should go to waste. The recipe reflects an era when families raised their own animals and slaughtered the pig once a year, using every part, from smoked ribs to sausages. Serving it in separate stages, first the broth as soup and then the rich platters of meat and vegetables, turns a simple stew into a true festive meal, fitting for Sundays and family celebrations. Many Portuguese families consider cozido the benchmark recipe for testing a cook's skill, since perfectly timing so many different ingredients demands long experience.
Five or six kinds of meat
Beef, pork, chicken, smoked sausage and bacon all simmer in the same pot, each added at the right moment.
Whole cabbage, carrots and turnips
Whole vegetables simmer in the flavorful meat broth, absorbing its savor without falling apart.
Each ingredient simmers a different time
Every kind of meat and vegetable has its own cooking time, added gradually to avoid overcooking.
Served as a multi-course meal
The broth is often served first as a soup, followed by the meat and vegetables arranged on separate platters.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 500g beef brisket
- 400g smoked pork ribs
- 1 small whole chicken
- 2 smoked sausages
- 1 small cabbage
- 4 carrots
- 2 turnips
- 4 potatoes
- Salt and pepper
How to make it
- 1Put the beef brisket and smoked ribs in a very large pot with cold water, bringing to a boil over high heat.
- 2Skim off the foam from the surface, reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for one hour.
- 3Add the whole chicken and smoked sausages, continuing to simmer for another forty minutes.
- 4Add the cabbage cut into quarters, whole carrots and turnips, simmering twenty minutes until the vegetables soften.
- 5Add the whole potatoes with their skins and simmer another fifteen minutes, until everything is fully cooked through.
- 6Remove all the meat, sausages and vegetables onto separate platters, keeping the cooking broth.
- 7Serve the strained broth hot as the first course, followed by the meat and vegetables arranged nicely, with a little salt sprinkled on top.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
