Red Bean Stew with Hot Peppers and Garlic Bread

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. dried deep-red beans
• 6 c. water
• 1/4 lb. slab bacon or salt pork
• 1 sweet chorizo (about 2 oz.)
• 1 pig's foot, split (optional)
• 1/2 head garlic in 1 piece, unpeeled, loose skin removed
• 1 tbs. olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. paprika
• salt
• 8 1/2-inch bread slices, cut from a long narrow loaf
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• hot red peppers, preserved in water and vinegar

Steps:

1. Soak beans in water to cover overnight.
2. Drain beans and transfer to a deep pan. Add 6 cups water, slab bacon, chorizo, optional pig's foot, and the half head of garlic. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 1.5 hours.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil and saute the onion until it has wilted. Stir in paprika. Add to the beans, and salt to taste. Cover and continue cooking until beans are done, about 30 minutes more.
4. Toast the bread in a 350F oven until golden on both sides.
5. If using pig's foot, extract it, scrape meat from it, and chop. Add to beans. Cut the chorizo into thick slices and return to pot. Press half head of garlic with wooden spoon to extract garlic; discard skin.
6. Rub toast with cut garlic cloves. Mash slab bacon and spread thinly on the toast and reheat. Serve beans accompanied with garlic toast and hot peppers.

Notes:

• I've made this twice, once in NJ and once in KS. I haven't been able to find satisfactory chorizo in KS, but I can get a very nice package of smoked ham hocks, which I substitute for chorizo/pig foot. I've never made the garlic toast for this -- mostly because I was also serving escalivada and garum on garlic toast.

Keywords: Spanish, Beans, Beans.