Top 5 Catalan Meat Dishes

Fricandó amb moixernons is a classic Catalan dish of casseroled veal. There are as many variations on this dish as there are cooks. Dating back to the beginning of the 18th century, the dish is prepared with small, flattened slices of veal (rump, shank, round, flank), onions, carrots, tomatoes, almonds, garlic, flour, white wine, carquinyoli biscuits, and moixernons (fairy ring mushrooms). Optional ingredients include bacon and a bit of dark chocolate. The meat is covered with the sauce and a picada consisting of parsley, chopped garlic, and carquinyoli biscuits. Fricandó amb moixernons is usually left to stand for a few hours or even a few days before serving so that the flavors become even better. It's recommended to serve the dish with crusty bread and mashed potatoes.Expand

Boles de picolat is a traditional Catalan dish in which meatballs and olives are simmered in a rich sauce. Other ingredients include carrots, garlic, cepes mushrooms, tomato purée, and olive oil. The meatballs are often prepared with a combination of pork and beef mince, flour, eggs, and onions. They're fried in olive oil, then combined with the sauce. Once prepared, the dish is served with white beans, chickpeas, or rice on the side. It's important to note that the dish and some of the ingredients vary from restaurant to restaurant.Expand

Freginat is a traditional Catalan dish originating from the city of Lleida. Although there are many versions, the dish is usually made with a combination of thinly sliced boneless pork, pork liver, white beans, onions, lard, bacon, salt, and black pepper. The onions are chopped and sautéed in lard. The bacon, pork, and pork liver are sautéed in lard in another pan until crisp. Cooked white beans are added to the onions and lard and sautéed. After a few minutes, the cooked meats are added to the beans and onions and mixed well. The dish is seasoned with salt and a generous amount of black pepper, and it's then simmered for a few more minutes and served.Expand

Conejo con chocolate is a traditional dish originating from Catalonia, as the Catalans first started to add chocolate (from Mexico) to dishes in the 17th century. The dish is usually made with a combination of rabbit pieces, red wine, garlic, flour, olive oil, onions, carrots, sherry, chicken stock, orange zest, dark chocolate, and seasonings and herbs such as thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, cinnamon, and peppercorns. The rabbit pieces are marinated for an hour in a mixture of salt, wine, garlic, and seasonings and herbs. The onions and carrots are sautéed in olive oil. The meat is dusted with flour, browned in oil, and mixed with the vegetables. Sherry is poured into the pan to deglaze, and it’s then mixed with the marinade, seasonings, and chicken stock. The mixture is simmered, and the meat and vegetables are added to the pan. The dish is simmered for an hour, the sauce is reduced, and orange zest and chocolate are added to the sauce and heated through. Once done, the dish is served with noodles, bread, or salad on the side.Expand

Escudela barrejada is a Catalan meat stew made with a combination of hen meat, pork belly, bone marrow broth, veal shank, giblets, pig's head, rice, vermicelli noodles, botifarra negra, and a variety of vegetables such as leeks, carrots, potatoes, turnips, and swiss chard. The meat and offal are cut into smaller pieces before being added to the broth. The combination is simmered with the vegetables, rice, and noodles, while the botifarra is added near the end of cooking.Expand