[2] Societal discrimination against conversos in early Modern Iberia and the subsequent fear of being denounced as a crypto-Jew favoured the incorporation of pork into meals.

During the growth of the city in the 19th and 20th centuries, its low cost and heartiness made it a popular order in small restaurants and the taverns catering to manual workers.

After the Civil War, the austerity period, followed by the introduction of more convenient meals, reduced the public popularity of the dish.

For some recipes, the final touch is the bola, a meatball-like mix of ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley and other spices, which, it is said,[citation needed] was created as a substitute of the eggs used in the adafaina.

Traditionally, dishes made with the leftovers of the cocido include Spanish croquetas (croquettes), ropa vieja and pringá.