Rioja Paired Recipes: Caparrones con Sus Sacramentos

Beans with Sausages and Ribs

Caparrones are a type of red bean indigenous to the Rioja. Their literal translation means ‘big head’, referring to their shape, and the most prized come from the Anguiano region.

These beans can be striped or fully red, but either way they are delicious. They are a favorite meal after harvest time, when the weather begins to cool. The beans get slow-cooked, gently, with any and all sausages and bits of ham that are around in the kitchen, from ribs to ear to trotters. You can also often find chorizo and pork ribs, as well as tocino, or pancetta, and even the occasional blood sausage—these are the sacramentos, or sacraments. If you don’t include the sacraments, the name of the dish changes to caparrones viudos, or ‘widowed beans’. If you can’t get caparrones from Rioja, you can substitute red or pinto beans perfectly in this recipe. 

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 11 ounces (310g) caparrones
• 1 onion, diced
• 10 ounces (285g) pork ribs
• 2 bay leaves
• 7 ounces (200g) thick-cut pancetta in adobo, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 7 ounces (200g) Spanish chorizo, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt 

Instructions:

1. Rinse the beans and soak them in abundant water for several hours or up to overnight.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat in a large pot. Add the diced onion and the pork ribs. Lower heat to medium-high and cook, turning the ribs once, until they are browned and the onions are translucent. Add the beans and the bay leaves and fill with water so it covers the beans by two inches. Raise heat to high and cook until it begins to boil.
3. Once the pot comes to a boil, add a glass of cold water to temper the cooking water and bring it back to a boil. Repeat this process 3-4 times and then lower the heat and let it simmer until the beans are nearly cooked, stirring ocassionally, about 2 hours. Skim any foam that rises to the surface as necessary.
4. Once the beans are nearly cooked, add the chorizo, pancetta, and salt to taste. Cook for about 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally by moving the pan back and forth. 
5. In a separate pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add the finely chopped garlic. Stir frequently to avoid burning. When the garlic is golden, add the paprika, stirring it into the oil. Immediately pour the sofrito over the beans, stirring gently as all the ingredients simmer together over low heat. Let it simmer another ten minutes, or until the beans are perfectly tender.

When everything is done, remove from the heat and let the dish rest for a few minutes before serving with a nice bottle of Rioja.