Fricandó

Catalan cuisine has managed to transform pungent, humble meats with bad reputations—such as skirt steak and brisket—into stews that continue to make their mark by combining hours of slow cooking, a splash of wine, the aroma of spices, and a lovely picada to boot.

Catalan cuisine is not known for any major contributions to beef and ox cuisine, with no recipes like boeuf bourguignon going down in history. However, it has managed to transform pungent, humble meats with bad reputations—such as skirt steak and brisket—into stews that continue to make their mark by combining hours of slow cooking, a splash of wine, the aroma of spices, and a lovely picada to boot. The first writing on fricandó dates back to the eighteenth century, but its antecedents lie in the Middle Ages.

Platillos

In Catalonia, platillos are a group of nearly extinct recipes that once graced festa major celebrations. These ceremonious recipes were prepared the day before with beef, giblets, sofregits, and picades, all cooked very slowly. Platillos were often served with a side of vegetables or mushrooms as well as a nice hunk of bread to dip in the stew. Fricandó is one of these platillos.

TRADITIONS:

What are Festes Majors?

Festes Majors are annual celebrations where each town celebrates the town’s patron, or celebrates an important moment of its history or tradition. The Festes Majors are informal street parties that are meticulously planned throughout the year by residents in the neighborhood associations. They are in charge of decorating the main streets and setting up events with local artists and businesses. It’s an opportunity to spend time with the community of neighbors, which contributes to creating the festive and informal atmosphere that characterizes these events.

45 min + 1h 30min

Ingredients

21⁄2 lb. beef (shin or shank), cut into thin strips
6 Tbsp. flour
1 cup white wine
2 sweet onions, chopped
3 ripe tomatoes, grated
Catalan Extra Virgin Olive Oil – EVOO
Water or beef stock
1⁄2 lb. fresh or dried wild mushrooms

For the picada

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
6 to 8 roasted almonds
1 carquinyoli or almond biscotti
1 square of 70% cocoa grated chocolate
1 dried ancho pepper soaked in warm water for 1.5 hours, seeded and minced
8 to 9 fresh parsley leaves

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1.
If the mushrooms are dry, soak them for 1 to 2 hours and rinse. If fresh, simply wipe off the dirt. Set aside.

Step 2.
Place all the ingredients for the picada in the mortar and grind with the pestle. Add one or two spoonfuls of white wine or water to make a homogenous paste

Step 3.
Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper and coat in flour. Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat until shimmering, lightly sear the meat, and set aside on a plate

Step 4.
Strain the oil in the pot with a colander and heat it up again. If there’s not enough oil, add a few more spoonfuls. Once hot, start up the sofregit. Toss in the onion and cook for 20 minutes. Next, add the tomato and cook for 20 more minutes, until the mix turns into a nice confit.

Step 5.
Put the meat back in the pot, mixing it with onion and tomato sofregit, and pour in the white wine. Reduce for 2 minutes.

Step 6.
Cover the meat with water or stock and cook on low heat until the meat is very tender, for about 1.5 hours.

Step 7.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan and lightly sauté the mushrooms for about 4 minutes, stirring only a little bit. Once golden, add them to the pot with the meat.

Step 8.
When only 5 minutes of cooking remain, stir in the picada so that all of the ingredients will acquire the taste evenly.

Fricandó

Platillos

TRADITIONS:

For the picada

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