Judiones de la Granja: giant white beans

Ingredients

• 500 g Judiones de La Granja (dried giant white beans), IGP-certified where possible; soaked overnight in cold water
• 1 chorizo, whole or in two pieces
• 1 morcilla, whole or in two pieces
• 300 g pork ribs, cut into sections
• 1 pig's ear, cleaned
• cold water, enough to cover generously; additional cold water kept to hand for the asustadas technique
• fine sea salt, added at the end only

Method

1. 1
   Drain the soaked beans and place them in a large, heavy pot. Arrange all pork products — chorizo, morcilla, ribs, and pig's ear — among the beans. Cover generously with fresh cold water. Do not begin in hot or boiling water.
2. 2
   Set the pot over a medium-low flame and bring the water up very slowly to a bare simmer. This is where the dish lives or dies: a gradual, unhurried rise in temperature keeps the thin skins of the judiones intact; any sudden heat will crack them, cloud the broth, and destroy the bean's characteristic delicacy.
3. 3
   Once a gentle simmer is established, maintain it throughout. Never allow the liquid to boil vigorously. Each time the simmer threatens to quicken, add a small measure of cold water directly to the pot — the asustadas technique — to arrest the temperature. The surface should show only a quiet, lazy movement.
4. 4
   Continue cooking until the judiones are completely tender and yielding — creamy at the centre, with skins unbroken. The stew should remain loose, the beans floating in a lightly flavoured, translucent broth rather than a thick sauce.
5. 5
   Taste the broth only now, and season with salt if needed. The pork products will have released their salt slowly over the long cook; early seasoning risks over-salting. Adjust with restraint.