Beans from Madrid. Uncle Lucas

With the arrival of the coldest or rainiest times, it seems that the body asks us for  recipes for stews and legumes , the best spoon dishes, very forceful and comforting.

This stew or bean casserole is one of them, and one of the best without a doubt.

This recipe for beans to Uncle Lucas is fully Madrid, with a lot of tradition and history, and dates back – according to historians – to the 19th century. Its origins are attributed to its creator, the illustrious Lucas González de Caso, popularly known as “Tío Lucas”. He was the owner of a Tavern in the now-disappeared Travesía de los Peligros, located between Sevilla and Alcalá streets. It was a very popular place in Madrid at that time, with the usual presence of actors, bullfighters, artists, … and it served its bean dishes, among other specialties.

Uncle Lucas’ original recipe is not 100 percent certified, but it could be this one that says: “ It goes into an oya de varro, a livra of tozino, mu partio, with olive oil and packs, it is well reared and four livras daluvia are planted with cevoyas, agos, parsley, cumin, bay leaf, salt, paprika and bring the oya to the stove that you are four hours old ».

On the contrary, the journalist and gourmet Dionisio Pérez (1929), in his book “Guide to good Spanish eating” assures that this story of Uncle Lucas is nothing more than a legend. That neither the person nor his tavern existed, based on the fact that at that time the house where the famous tavern is located had not yet been built.

Be that as it may, it has all the literary wickerwork to generate a wonderful tradition, and the recipe (true or not) has survived to this day. I have always been attracted to traditional recipes, with history, and I had this dish on the “to do” list. Like many stew dishes, it takes time to prepare, but in the end, once on the table it was worth it. We have taken the opportunity to invite some friends, and the gastronomic day has been a success. This dish is one of those that leave a great memory. I will never forget Uncle Lucas again, that’s for sure.

Preparation of beans to Uncle Lucas

1. The day before, we select the beans and then put them to soak in plenty of water. At least 8 hours, so they hydrate enough. The next day, we discard that water.
2. In a large saucepan, add the beans, the bacon, the peeled onion, a tied sprig of fresh parsley, the bay leaves, plus the two whole and peeled garlic cloves. Pour plenty of water until everything is covered.
3. Heat over high heat until it begins to boil. At this point we “scare” with cold water, adding half a liter. We repeat this process another 2 more times.
4. Cook over medium / low heat, with the saucepan covered but leaving a hole for the steam to escape. We cook 2 hours (or 45 minutes if you do it in the express pot). We salt to taste at the beginning of cooking and rectify later if necessary.
5. When 20 minutes are left for that time, we get the sofrito.
6. In a frying pan with extra virgin olive oil, brown the cloves of rolled garlic, remove. Chop the onions in brunoise and fry for 10 minutes.
7. We take the bacon from the bean casserole. Chop it into small cubes and add it to the pan. We cook everything together for a couple of minutes.
8. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the paprika, cumin, vinegar and finely 1/3 of a glass of cooking water. We mix. Cook 3-4 minutes over medium heat.
9. We remove the excess water from the casserole of the beans, leaving them covered flush with the liquid. We pour the sofrito, and mix by grabbing the casserole by the handles, with a back and forth movement. In this way we prevent the beans from breaking.
10. We raise the fire and bring to a boil. Then we turn off and let stand at least 40/45 minutes. In this time they will take the ideal point to be enjoyed in the Tío Lucas style. My recommendation is that you prepare them the day before if you have time.

We serve hot on the table, accompanied by a little chopped fresh parsley in the center of each dish.

And you will tell me what you think, since I assure you that this dish is a true gastronomic spectacle.

You can see in this step by step how to prepare this recipe so famous in Madrid, some beans like Uncle Lucas .