Any more original recipes from our soup makers? I think Mrs. Ingie and Laikom are the only ones I haven't heard from. If you'd like to add yours to the list I send over to Martha at Soup & Bread, please let me know today.

thanks!

The recipe for the Birnen, Bohnen und Speck (Pears, Green Beans and Bacon) was a mix of my mom's recipe and what I was able to find searching German recipe sites. My mom served this as a soup when I was growing up, but my research showed that most Germans actually eat without the broth. The broth is one of my favorite parts, the mix of sweet from the pears and the smokey savory broth derived from smoked pork parts! Mom always used pork butt, but I went for smoked hocks and necks.

8 cups of water
1 lb. of smoked pork belly, good bacon or other smoked items like hocks and necks (plus optional cooked bacon for garnish)
1 medium onion, coarsly chopped
2 unripe Bosc pears
2 medium large or 4 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into one inch chunks
1 lb. green beans, washed and stemmed
4 bay leaves
1 TBL Savory
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Place the water, pork, onions, bay leaves and savory in a Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer and cook for two hours or until meat is becoming tender and starting to pull away from bones.

Add pears to the pot and cook about 20 minutes. If using hocks or other pork on a bone, remove at this time and remove meat from bones; return to pot. When pears are just tender, remove from pot, quarter and remove seeds and stems. Add potatoes and green beans and cook until potatoes and beans are tender. Return pears to the pot. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

I didn't really measure much or write anything down, so it is a rough guess of what 1 gallon would be:

Carne en su Jugo

The Stock:

Make 1 gallon of beef stock using your favorite recipe, or adjust this to your liking:

Brown: in a pan or roast in an oven until darkened:

2 to 3 onionS
½ head of garlic
some beef shank
beef bones

Add meat and bones to a pot. Cover with water and and cook in a 170 to 180 degree oven for at least 8 hours. Add more water as needed.

During the last two hours add:

4 to 5 tomatillos
1 serrano pepper
1 or 2 cloves
a pinch of cinnamon
2 bay leaves

Clarify and de-fat using your preferred method. Salt to taste.

Soup ingredients:

Set aside to top each bowl at serving time:

1 lb well salted and peppered, charcoal grilled skirt steak, medium rare, chopped
1 lb thick cut very crispy bacon, chopped or crumbled
2 lb cooked (or canned) pinto beans, drained

Prep for serving:

chopped cilantro
chopped onion
sliced limes
sliced radish
Chili Oil (recipe below)

Chili oil:

Toast until dried and fragrant, in toaster oven or in a dry skillet:

10 to 15 dried chiles de arbol
1 small dried chipotle
1 dried ancho pepper

Once cooled, remove stems and blend in a blender until a fine powder.

Add the powder to:

1 to 2 cups of oil

(I used 50/50 corn and sunflower oil) to achieve the desired consistency.

Also add:

½ cup of gochugaru (korean red pepper powder)
1 teaspoon of ground corriander seed
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of oregano
salt to taste

Stir often on low heat, cook until powder begins to darken and smell nice and toasty, about 15 to 20 minutes. Be careful not to let it burn.