Pea stew Münsterland style

Ingredients for 25 servings:

• 1 ½ kg peas, unpeeled
• 500 g diced ham
• Onion(s), depending on size approx. 2 – 5
• n. B. water
• 1 kg pork ribs (Kasseler Dicke Rippe), smoked, sawn
• 1 pig’s ear(s)
• 1 pig’s foot, sawn into pieces
• 1 pig’s tail, sawn into pieces
• 1 pork knuckle(s) (hind knuckle), cured
• 24 Mettenden sausages, 80 g each, smoked
• 3 leek(s)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 ½ kg potatoes, floury or mostly waxy
• n. B. Stock cubes
• e.g. salt and pepper
• e.g. marjoram
• n. B. savory

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 50 minutes; Total time approx. 15 hours 50 minutes

hearty pea soup according to Grandpa Heinrich – with ear, paw and tail

Order the meat – especially the ear, tail, and foot – from the butcher a few days in advance. The night before, soak the peas in plenty of water according to the package instructions. Make sure the bowl is large enough. The peas will swell. On the day of preparation, fry the ham in a sufficiently large pot, add the finely chopped onions, and let it brown a little. When everything is lightly browned, deglaze with water as needed. Add the thick rib, the pig’s ear, the pig’s tail, the pig’s foot, and the cured pork knuckle to the pot and add water as needed until everything is just covered. Score the mettenden and add it as well. Cut the leeks lengthwise, rinse, then trim off the dark green parts and add to the meat. Roughly dice the garlic cloves and place them in a spiced egg in the pot, then add the bay leaves. Let everything simmer for about 30-45 minutes. Now add the peas and their soaking water to the meat in the pot. Let everything simmer for another 2 hours, until the peas are tender. Meanwhile, peel and finely dice the potatoes, trim the remaining leeks, and slice them into thin rings. When the peas are tender, remove the dark leek greens, bay leaves, and garlic. Remove the meat and let it cool slightly, then add the potatoes and leek rings. Let it simmer until the potatoes are tender. Now discard the paw and ear. There is a little meat at the base of the tail that can be used: pick it out, chop it up, and add it to the pot. Discard the rest as well. The ear, tail, and paw basically only serve to add flavor and thicken the soup. Halve the mettenden pork loin lengthwise and chop it up. Also pick the thick rib and pork knuckle. Finely chop the meat and return it to the pot. Top up with water to the desired amount and let everything boil briefly again. If desired, season with stock cubes, salt, pepper, marjoram, and/or savory. Because of the smoked and cured meat, be careful and taste before adding it. Often, additional seasoning isn’t necessary. The stew tastes best if it’s left to stand overnight. Tips: If you reduce the quantities for this recipe, leave the amounts for one ear, one tail, and one paw each as they are. Use a pot large enough to accommodate this quantity.