Three-Meat Braise (Estofado de Tres Carnes)

Ingredients

• 1 piece beef brisket
• 1 piece pork
• 1 hen
• 1 leg of mutton or pork
• fresh unsalted tocino, in slices
• 1 bunch aromatic herbs: parsley, basil, hierba buena (mint) or torongil (lemon balm), rosemary, bay
• green onion leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 heads onion
• 2 dozen Málaga raisins
• 2 dozen almonds
• peppercorns
• 1 piece whole cinnamon
• 1 pinch cumin (cominos)
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 oz pork fat from fresh tocino, fried with pimentón
• pimentón (paprika)
• 1/4 measure legitimate Priorato wine
• water
• eggs, sliced
• pickled gherkins (pepinillos escabechados)

Instructions

1. Wash the beef brisket, pork, hen, and (optional) mutton or pork leg in warm water and lay them in a porcelain-enameled iron pot on slices of fresh unsalted tocino.
2. Add a tied bundle of aromatic herbs on green onion leaves, plus chopped garlic, onions, Málaga raisins, almonds, peppercorns, whole cinnamon, cumin, salt, sugar, and pork fat fried with pimentón for color.
3. Pour over a quarter of Priorato wine lightly cut with water and seal the pot hermetically.
4. Set over strong embers for the first boil, then five hours in banked coals over low heat, never uncovering—only rocking it off the fire so it does not stick.
5. At serving, lift the pieces out with two forks so they stay whole; center the meat and hen, pour the sauce around, and garnish with egg slices or pickled gherkins.