Caldereta de cordero o manchega. Recipe and party at SanSe

There is no more traditional dish in the Castilian farming and grazing fields than the Manchego or lamb stew . And precisely this is the dish that is chosen in San Sebastián de los Reyes in May to celebrate its birth as a population in 1492.

On this date it was when the Catholic Monarchs named Sanse as an independent city. 520 years has this municipality that has recently become “Great Population”.

I have been living in San Sebastián de los Reyes for several years, and every year I go to the celebration of May 2, where many clubs, associations and anyone who wants to participate meet to cook a popular stew and take part in an organized contest by the town hall.

During the day there is a contest for Castilian crumbs and another for pastry. I leave you with some photos of the day and I assure you that the stews were impressive, great work has had to be done by the jury. Long live the kitchens of Sanse!

For this recipe, María from one of the participating clubs told me

“The best stew is made with the neck of the lamb or with pieces of shoulder, but as it is a contest and everyone has to participate with the same ingredients that the City Council gives, in this case it is made with choto or pieces of kid, also very good. Then many vegetables are added: onion, tomato, red pepper or bell pepper, garlic, white wine of the good (very important) and extra virgin olive oil, if you want to embroider some good Galician potatoes… and then to take a nap ”

I leave you with the recipe that you can easily prepare at home, you will leave your fingers from soaking in a yummy sauce.

Preparation of the lamb for the stew

1. The best thing you can do at home is to marinate the meat the day before. Add one of the garlic cloves, white wine, thyme, rosemary, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with a good jet of extra virgin olive oil.
2. We leave everything well covered in a source and leave it to rest until the next day.
3. It is very important that when you buy the meat the butcher cuts it into regular pieces for stew and that you clean it. Tell him to remove the excess fat or you will have to do it at home.
4. You will have a few pieces of 20 g more or less. If you have a trusted butcher, reserve a good piece of tender lamb and leave it ready for the stew.

Preparation of the base ingredients for the pot

1. Peel the garlic and onions, chop the latter very finely and leave the garlic whole.
2. Drain the meat and save the liquid that we will then use for the stew.
3. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic and let them brown. Then we remove them from the oil and reserve.
4. Add the pieces of lamb until they are well browned, the meat will begin to release part of its juice. We remove the meat and reserve.
5. Fry the onion in the same oil where we brown the meat for about 10 minutes over low heat.
6. Add the julienned peppers (in long strips) and let it go little by little for another 5 minutes.
7. Peel the potatoes and the tomatoes. We cut the potatoes into cubes breaking them so that they release all their starch and the tomatoes in quarters. Add the tomato to the onion and peppers.

Cooking and final presentation of the lamb stew

1. When the sauce is well browned, introduce the pieces of lamb with the garlic and the tablespoon of flour (the latter is optional). Add the liquid from the marinade with the white wine and spices.
2. We rectify salt and pepper.
3. Let it reduce a little, about 10-15 minutes over medium heat.
4. We cover everything with the meat broth or with the water.
5. We cook over low heat until the liquid is reduced and the meat is tender, about an hour.
6. It is important that you stir from time to time so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. If you prepare it the day before, the best way to heat it is to use the same saucepan over very low heat, stirring occasionally.
7. We add the potatoes that we have previously browned in virgin olive oil. Mix everything well with a wooden spoon, mixing the flavors.
8. We leave about 20 minutes (id testing) and we will have a pot of 10 points.
9. If the broth is too light, it can be thickened with a little mashed potato.
10. We serve very hot and with a little bread, the sauce in this recipe is great.

Be sure to enjoy all the stews, stews and yummy soups in our recipes for soups and stews .  And of course all recipes with meat with lamb, rabbit, beef, pork or chicken.

Curiosities about the lamb, San Sebastián de los Reyes and its stew

• Lamb is one of the tastiest meats and used in traditional Spanish cuisine. In this recipe we respect the intense flavor of this meat although if you want it to be a little softer you can always freeze the meat. This way you will get a little less bravío in the recipe.
• The stews are traditionally considered “poor” for its simplicity. Its name “caldereta” refers to the large cauldrons in which it was cooked in the heat of a campfire, in the fire.
• The history of the city where I live is curious. The story tells that the people in the time of the Catholic Monarchs were subject to a feudal lord and the peasants came to the protection and protection of the Catholic Monarchs.
• King Fernando de Aragón, “el Católico”, immediately ordered the founding of the new town and forget any retaliation against its neighbors.
• Thus on May 2, 1492 the foundation of a new rural nucleus took place and it was renamed San Sebastián in honor of the saint of the nearby hermitage, de los Reyes, for its majesties.
• And 520 years later, this small population is now a large city where more than 100,000 inhabitants live. More than half a century in which the roots and the own customs continue to be very present in the population as a whole.