Traditional Mallorcan cuisine cooked over a low heat
With temperatures still low, the body craves warm, comforting dishes cooked slowly and enjoyed from the very first spoonful. And if there is one undisputed king of winter in Mallorca, that is the role of the bullit.
The typical stew found in kitchens trhoughout Spain. It can be found, with differents names and its own personality, in Cataluña, Madrid, Galicia, Asturias and Andalucia. Someingredients and serving order may vary, but the essence remains the same: a generous, nourishing dish deeply rooted in popular tradition. A stew built with time, patience and quality ingredients.
A bullit without good meat is just broth and vegetables. The secret lies in combining cuts that provide flavour, texture and natural gelatin. At Ramaders, as meat specialists, we know a great bullit starts at the butcher’s counter.
Essential cuts include beef shank, which becomes tender with slow cooking; marrow, adding body to the broth; a balance between lean and fatty meats, such as beef and pork (bacon or pancetta); and chicken or hen, which softens and rounds out the flavour.
But bullit is more than meat. In some houses in Mallorca, chickpeas are added (slowly cooked until creamy) seasonal vegetables (potatoes, carrots, cabbage, green beans…) bring balance and freshness. Noodles are often added for the first course, and other elements that make it unique: large meatball (known as pilota in the Balearic Islands) and sausages such as butifarrón or sobrasada, which add character and aroma.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken rear end
- 1 piece of beef with bone
- 1 pork knuckle
- 300g mixed minced meat (pork and beef)
- 1 leek
- 1 turnip
- 1 stick of celery
- 1 tomato
- 1 large sausage
- 1 piece of sobrasada (spicy sausage)
- 1 piece of cabbage
- 3 potatoes
- 1 sweet potato
- 150g green beans
- 4 carrots
- Salt pepper and extra virgin olive oil
Method
- Mix the minced meat. Season to taste and shape into a large meatball.
- Place the beef on the bone, pork knuckle, chicken and meatball in a large pot. Add the leek, turnip, celery and whole tomato. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Skim off the foam and cook over a medium heat for 1 hour.
- Add the vegetables, along with the sausage and sobrasada. Cool for another 30-40 minutes, until everything is tender.
- Strain part of the broth and set aside to prepare the traditional noodle soup.
- Place the meat, meatball, sausages and vegetables in a serving dish. Add a drizzle of olive oil and serve hot, accompanied by the soup.
This is still the season for spoon dishes that truly restore you. And choosing fresh, well-selected meats suited for long cooking makes all the difference. At Ramaders Agrupats we help you choose the best cuts. Shop in-store or online. Home delivery available across Mallorca, the Balearic Islands and mainland Spain.
