In the postwar period, eating a good chicken or a good steak was a luxury available to very few. The most common meat, affordable for the vast majority, were the leftovers: the offals and the sweetbreads. Women, of course, became culinary artists. They managed to make the testicles lose their peculiar stink, they also succeeded in softening the guts and in turning ox cheeks into a delicacy, just as good as the most tender steak. Therefore, during the postwar years the giblets shops reached their maximum splendour. However, over the years these stews were relegated to grandmothers and it is thanks to them that we can still enjoy these dishes, which were turned into great delicacies by the poor, witty and imaginative women from our country.

Recipe: (for 4 people)

• ½ Beef shank cut into pieces
• 1 Veal lips cut into pieces
• 2 small onions
• 1 bay leaf
• Approx 100 g of Serrano ham
• 3 grated tomatoes
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of pepper or ground chorizo ​​pepper
• 250 g boiled chickpeas
• Salt
• 12 grains of black pepper
• EVOO
• Red Chilli (optional)
• Water

Preparation:

Thoroughly wash the shank and lips, leave one hour in cold water with vinegar. Wash again and blanch in hot water for 5 minutes, and wash once more with cold water.

Fully cover the shank and lips with water and add one onion, a bulb of garlic, a bay leaf, salt and pepper.

Proceed to cook until all the products (35 minutes in the pressure cooker) soften.

When everything is tender let the meat cool down until you can handle it without getting burned.

Bone the shank and cut the lips into small pieces and reserve the juice from the stew.

Add 50 cc of olive oil in another pot and sauté the onion.

When it becomes transparent, add two cloves of garlic, previously chopped, and the ham cut into strips. Fry for two minutes and add the dried red pepper (stirring constantly).

Incorporate the diced tomatoes and let them reduce on a low heat.

Add the shank, the lips and the chickpeas. Stir. Taste and add salt if necessary. Add the remaining broth from cooking the meat.

Cook for another 20 minutes so as all the flavours can blend.

A piece of advice:
I recommend to let it settle for a few hours to gain in taste and consistency.

Buen provecho!