Cozido à Portuguesa Expresso
(koo-zee-doo ah por-too-gay-zuh es-press-oo)
Sunday Saudade: Family Roasts & Hearty Rices
Forty-five minutes. A proper Cozido is a sprawling, weekend event rooted in rural pig slaughters, but for families raising kids in Newark or Fall River in the 1980s, a stovetop pressure cooker or six-quart Dutch oven became the authentic diaspora way. Extract a golden, smoky broth from tough cuts of beef and pork in thirty minutes, then use that chouriço fat staining the broth orange to simmer the wilted green cabbage, potatoes, and rice; slice the meats thick and leave the broth in the pot.
Before you start
Salt the beef and pork aggressively the night before.
This old-world dry-brining trick mimics the traditional agrarian salt box, deeply seasoning the tough cuts of meat and altering their protein structures so they retain moisture during their violent stint under pressure.
Ingredients
- beef chuck roast1 lb
- boneless pork shoulder1 lb
- bone-in chicken thighs1 lb
- slab bacon1/2 lb
- Portuguese Chouriço1 large
- Morcela1 med
- onion1 large
- garlic4 med cloves
- bay leaves2 med
- coarse sea salt1 tbsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- Savoy cabbage1 small head
- carrots3 large
- purple-top turnips2 med
- Yukon Gold potatoes4 med
- long-grain white rice1 1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Extract the liquid gold.
Rinse the pre-salted beef and pork, then place them in a pressure cooker along with the chicken, bacon, chouriço, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and black pepper. Cover the ingredients entirely with water, seal, and cook on high pressure for thirty minutes before allowing a ten-minute natural release.
- 02
Manage the delicate sausages in a separate pot.
If you managed to find the highly unstable Morcela or Farinheira, do not pressure cook them or they will disintegrate and ruin the broth. Pierce their ends with wooden toothpicks and gently simmer them in a separate small saucepan of water for fifteen minutes.
- 03
Separate the tender meats from the broth.
Carefully remove all the meats and the chouriço from the pressure cooker, transferring them to a large platter covered tightly with foil to keep warm. Strain the remaining rich, smoky, golden cooking liquid into a large bowl—this is the foundational broth for the rest of the meal.
- 04
Simmer the root vegetables and cabbage.
In a large Dutch oven, arrange the potatoes, carrots, turnips, and cabbage wedges. Pour in enough of the reserved meat broth to cover the vegetables halfway, top off with fresh water to submerge them, and simmer gently covered for twenty minutes until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
- 05
Cook the accompanying rice.
In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed long-grain rice with three cups of the reserved meat broth. Bring it to a boil, reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for fifteen minutes until the liquid is fully absorbed and the rice is deeply savory.
- 06
Assemble the communal platter.
Slice the meats and sausages into thick, hearty chunks. Line a massive, family-style platter with the simmered cabbage and root vegetables, pile the meats high over the top, and serve immediately with the savory rice on the side.
Notes
The aftermath demands Sopa de Cozido.
It is an unwritten law of the Portuguese kitchen that any leftover gelatinous broth, stray meat scraps, and vegetables must be repurposed the following day. Boil the leftovers with a handful of small macaroni elbows and submerge a fresh sprig of mint into the pot right before serving for a sharp, refreshing contrast to the heavy pork broth.