Croatian Bean and Meat Stew (Grah varivo)
Classically delicious, but with a few changes in the steps and ingredients, this first-class Croatian bean and meat stew is one of those hearty winter dishes that, due to the practicality and length of preparation, I always cook in a big pot. Although thickened without the roux, it combines traditional flavors of beans and cured dry meat with a few secrets on spices which make it even better! I've also prepared a few tips on how to cook beans to make them less gassy.
Ingredients
DAY NUMBER ONE: BRINING THE BEANS
- 500 g dried beans cranberry or pinto beans
- 1,5 tbsp sea salt
- 1,5 tsp baking soda
DAY NUMBER TWO: COOKING
- 800 g cured dry pork ribs or smoked pork sausage or cured ham hock
- 3 tbsp lard
- 3 onions bigger
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2-3 carrots
- 2-3 parsley root
- ¼ celeriac
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 3,4-4 l water
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp ginger powder
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp hot paprika powder
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika powder
- 1 tbsp dried mushroom powder optional
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp ketchup or ajvar
- salt quantity of salt depends on how salty is the meat
- parsley leaves for serving
Instructions
DAY NUMBER ONE: BRINING THE BEANS
- The day before cooking, soak the beans in water together with baking soda and salt. Let the beans brine for 12 hours.
DAY NUMBER TWO: COOKING
- The next day, strain the beans and put them in a large pot with cold water. Bring the pot to a boil and cook for no more than 30 minutes. Repeat the same step with the pork ribs in a separate pot (skip this step if using only sausages or the meat you have is not very salty). During this time, grate half of the root vegetables and chop the other half. Slice the onions, mince the garlic, and strain the beans and the meat.
- In a big pot melt the lard and add the bay leaves and onion. Saute until golden, then add garlic and saute briefly. Now add grated root veggies, sprinkle some baking soda, and cook everything slowly on medium-high heat, for about 15 min. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water alongside this process.
- Add the beans, meat, and water to cover almost to the top of the pot and let it boil. Keep the rest of the root veggies on the side.
- Now add the spices: cumin, ginger, hot and sweet paprika, black pepper, and mushroom powder (if using). I recommend adding the salt at the end of the cooking if the meat hasn't released too much salt.
- Cook the bean stew half-covered for 2-2,5 hours. The cooking time will depend a lot on the type of beans and meat you use. Halfway through cooking, add the rest of the root vegetables, and towards the end, try if you need to add more spices.
- To make this stew thicker, take out 5-6 big spoons of cooked beans with some liquid and mash them vigorously with a potato masher (alternately, you could use an immersion blender), then return to the pot.
- At the end, add tomato paste and ketchup or ajvar and stir everything well. Serve and dobar tek!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 419kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 22gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 1386mgPotassium: 1136mgFiber: 16gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2440IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 120mgIron: 4mg
Nutritional information provided is an estimate based on ingredients data and should be used for informational purposes only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on factors such as portion size, preparation methods and ingredients used.