Recipe: Potago de Garbanzos (Spanish Chickpea Soup)

POTAGO DE GARBANZOS (Spanish Chickpea Soup)
Serves 4 to 6.

1/2 lb. garbanzo beans
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 lb. stew meat
2 smoked ham hocks
2 qt. water
4 oz. salt pork, diced
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. lard
1 lb. potatoes
1 pinch of saffron
salt to taste
1 chorizo (Spanish sausage)

Soak beans overnight with salt and sufficient water to cover beans. When ready to cook, drain the salted water from the beans and place them with the meat in 2 quarts water. Cook about 1 1/2 to 2 hours over low heat. Fry salt pork with paprika and onion in lard. Add to beans. Also add saffron, salt to taste, potatoes and the meat taken from ham hocks. Shred beef if desired. Cut potatoes into large dice. When potatoes are done remove from heat and add chorizo, cut into slices.