Cozido à Portuguesa (Portuguese Boiled Meats and Vegetables)
In short: Beef, pork, chicken and smoked chouriço simmered with cabbage, carrots, turnip and potatoes, served with rice cooked in the broth. It takes about 3 h 20 min in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 2 h 50 min
- Total
- 3 h 20 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 550 kcal
Cozido à portuguesa is the country's big boiled dinner, made for Sunday lunch, family reunions and village festivals. Beef, pork, chicken and smoked sausage simmer in one pot, then the vegetables go in so they pick up the broth. Everything is sliced onto a platter and served with rice cooked in some of the liquid. The recipe changes by region, and some cooks add pig's ear, blood sausage or beans. This version uses ingredients that are easy to find.
Instructions
- Put the beef and pork in a large pot with the onion, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt. Cover with the cold water, bring to a boil and skim off the gray foam for the first 10 minutes.
- Lower the heat so the surface barely bubbles, cover partly and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes. Add the chicken thighs and the whole chouriço and simmer for 30 minutes more.
- Add the carrots, turnip and potatoes and cook for 15 minutes. Tuck in the cabbage wedges and cook for 15 minutes longer, until the vegetables are tender and the beef and pork are fork-tender.
- Strain 500 ml (2 cups) of broth into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Stir in the rice and salt, cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes, then rest for 5 minutes off the heat.
- Lift the meats and sausage onto a board. Slice the beef, pork and chouriço, and pull the chicken into pieces. Arrange everything on a warm platter with the vegetables and moisten with a ladle of broth.
- Serve the platter with the rice and hot sauce at the table. Keep the remaining broth for soup.
Tips
- Skim the foam in the first 10 minutes and keep the heat low. A hard boil makes the meat stringy and the broth cloudy.
- If the pot is crowded, cook the vegetables in a second pot with some of the broth so they stay whole while the meat finishes.
Questions and answers
Can I make cozido à portuguesa ahead of time?
Yes. Cook it a day ahead, cool the meats and vegetables in the broth and refrigerate. Reheat gently in the broth so nothing dries out.
What can I do with leftover cozido?
Chop the leftover meats and vegetables and fry them with olive oil and garlic, a dish called roupa velha. The leftover broth makes a good soup with small pasta.
Can I use fewer meats?
Yes. Beef, chicken and chouriço alone make a lighter version. Keep the total weight of meat about the same so the broth stays flavorful.
How long does it take to make Cozido à Portuguesa (Portuguese Boiled Meats and Vegetables)?
About 3 h 20 min in total: 30 min of preparation and 2 h 50 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Cozido à Portuguesa (Portuguese Boiled Meats and Vegetables)?
About 550 kcal per serving, with 47 g of protein, 40 g of carbohydrates and 22 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 550 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 47 g |
| Carbohydrates | 40 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
| Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Sodium | 1100 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
