Lacón Gallego — Spain

Lacón Gallego is a dry-cured pork shoulder from Galicia; as a cooked dish it means the whole piece simmered slowly until tender and served sliced alongside turnip greens, potatoes and chorizo. It is reported from Galicia in northwest Spain, where the cured shoulder itself carries a protected geographical indication. The boiled dish built around it, often called lacón con grelos, is closely tied to the Carnival season in the region, though it also appears on Galician restaurant menus throughout the year. To prepare it, the dry-cured lacón is soaked in several changes of water for a day or more to draw out excess salt, then placed in a large pot and simmered gently for a few hours. Turnip greens and potatoes are added partway through, and chorizo goes in later so it renders without turning the broth too fatty. The lacón is ready when the meat pulls easily from the bone. It is sliced and served warm on a platter with the greens, potatoes and chorizo, moistened with a little of the cooking broth. What changes between cooks is mainly how long the lacón is soaked before cooking, whether a smoked or unsmoked cure is used, the balance of greens to potato, and how early the chorizo joins the pot. This version soaks the meat for a full day and adds the chorizo only in the final half hour of cooking.