Recipes
Soup of chick-peas and pork ribs
October 28, 2011
Curiosity
In the Carnival period, ‘l carlevè, the farm tradition of killing pigs was quite widespread – end of the nineteenth century, early twentieth.
The rather monotonous and customary rhythm of the gastronomic life that filled up the rest of the year, would then have a start in the rapid fervor of killing and preparing the meat.
In the following days the women would use the less valuable parts (such as ribs), turning them in tasty and loved dishes with the right recipes.
The ribs were cooked with the chickpeas, which had been patiently spending the autumn gathered in small bundles, placed to dry on top of the highest poles of the vineyard.
A great pairing, in which the chickpeas were softened by absorbing the little fat of the ribs, blending together cordial, non-contrasting flavors, barely enlivened by the seasoning elements.
Ingredients
Dried chick-peas
600 g
Pork ribs (with their meat)
700 g
Potatoes
4
Onions
2
Celery
1 stem
Carrot
1
Rosemary
1 sprig
Tomato sauce
1 spoon
Extra virgin olive oil
To taste
Salt
To taste
Procedure
First of all, put the chick-peas in cold water with some sodium bicarbonate and leave them there one night.
The day after, put them in a pot with three or four liters of water and let them cook.
While they cook, fry lightly the onions, the celery, the carrot, the rosemary in a little olive oil. If necessary, skim the chick-peas in the pot.
After the chick-peas have cooked for around two hours, add in the pot the fried vegetables, the potatoes (peeled but not cut), the ribs (8 to 10 cm long) and the tomato sauce.
Cook the whole for around two hours again, until the chick-peas are fully cooked.
Before serving hot, squash the potatoes with a spoon and a fork and, if necessary, add salt.
Photo Credits: Il Gambero Rosso
