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1
Start the Meats in Cold Water
20 Mins
Boiling, about 100°C (212°F), then simmering at about 95°C (203°F)
Put the beef, pork shoulder, ribs and chicken in the largest pot you own with the onion, garlic, bay leaves and olive oil. Cover with cold water by about 5 cm, bring to a boil over high heat, and skim off the foam as it rises.
Starting in cold water gives a clearer broth; starting in hot water traps the foam in the meat.
Done when: Broth boiling, foam skimmed, water clear on top.
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2
Simmer Low and Slow
90 Mins
Simmering, about 95°C (203°F)
Turn the heat down so the pot barely simmers — a few lazy bubbles, not a rolling boil — and cook for 90 minutes. Add the salt after the first hour, once you can taste how salty the sausages have made the broth.
A gentle simmer keeps the meats tender; a hard boil makes them stringy and clouds the broth.
Done when: Meats nearly tender when pierced, broth rich and golden.
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3
Add the Sausages
30 Mins
Simmering, about 95°C (203°F)
Add the chouriço and morcela to the pot and simmer for 25–30 minutes. The sausages flavour the broth and must be heated right through; the chicken should reach 74°C (165°F) at the thickest part.
Prick the morcela once with a knife before it goes in — it can burst in the simmer if the skin is tight.
Done when: Sausages hot through, skins intact, broth smoky and deep.
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4
Add the Vegetables
40 Mins
Simmering, about 95°C (203°F)
Lift the meats and sausages out to a warm platter and cover them. Add the potatoes, carrots, turnip and cabbage wedges to the pot and simmer for 25–30 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.
Cooking the vegetables after the meats come out keeps them from turning to mush under the heavy cuts.
Done when: Potatoes tender, carrots soft but holding shape, cabbage silky.
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5
Cook the Rice in the Broth
25 Mins
Simmering, about 95°C (203°F)
Scoop out about 1 litre of the hot broth into a second pan, add the rinsed rice, and simmer covered for 18–20 minutes until the rice is tender and has absorbed the broth. Fluff with a fork.
Rice cooked in the broth is the soul of the dish — never cook it in plain water.
Done when: Rice tender, fluffy, and golden from the broth.
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6
Rest and Serve on Platters
10 Mins
Serving hot, meats above 74°C (165°F)
Return the meats, sausages and vegetables to the pot for 5 minutes to heat through, then lift everything onto large warm platters: meats and sausages on one, vegetables on another, rice in a bowl. Scatter the mint over the top and serve the broth in a jug for anyone who wants a bowl of soup first.
Warm platters keep a feast like this hot while everyone serves themselves.
Done when: Everything hot, glistening and arranged in generous piles.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve family-style on big platters in the middle of the table, with the rice and a jug of broth alongside — cozido is a meal to share, not to plate one by one.
Portugal
50m
