Caribbean Recipes – Sancocho

News Americas, NEW YORK: This weekend, our Caribbean recipe in the spotlight is Sancocho, which comes from the Dominican Republic. It is a hearty stew usually made for special occasions with seven types of meats, but you can enjoy it any day.

Ingredients

• 1 lb beef for stews flank, chuck, or round
• 1 lb goat meat
• 1 lb pork sausage
• 1 lb pork for stews belly, or chump end
• 1 lb chicken
• 1 lb pork ribs
• 1 lb bones from a smoked ham
• Juice of two limes
• 1 tsp cilantro or parsley chopped
• 1/2 tsp oregano powdered
• 1 tsp garlic mashed
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp corn, peanut, or canola oil
• 2.5 quart water
• 1/2 lb yams cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 lb pumpkin cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 lb taro cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 green plantains 2 cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 lb cassava or yuca, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 corn cobs cut into 1/2-inch slices, optional

METHOD

1. Cut all the meat into small pieces. Coat the meat with the lime juice (except the pork sausage).
2. Place the beef in a large bowl and add the cilantro, oregano, garlic, and half a teaspoon of salt. Rub meat to cover with the spices. Marinate for at least half an hour.
3. In a large pot heat the oil over medium heat, add the beef and stir (be careful with hot oil splattering). Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of water if it looks like it might burn.
4. Add the pork and simmer for 15 minutes, adjust water when necessary. Add the rest of the meat to the pot (except for the chicken) and simmer for another 15 minutes, adding tablespoons of water as needed to prevent it from burning.
5. Add the remaining meat and simmer for another 5 minutes, adding tablespoons of water as needed to prevent it from burning.
6. Add 2 quarts of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the yam, 2 plantains, taro and yuca that you had previously cut. Simmer covered for 15 minutes.
7. Grate, or scrape the remaining plantain with a knife to make it into a pulp, add to the pot. Add all remaining ingredients (minus the salt) and add water as it becomes necessary to maintain the same level. Stir regularly to avoid excessive sticking.
8. Simmer until the last ingredients you added are cooked through.
9. Season with salt to taste. Serve hot with white rice, slices of avocado and garnish with hot sauce.

Your Sancocho is ready.

NOTE: You can skip the other meats if you want and just choose the beef or one type of meat. The trick to Sancocho is adding the meat from the longest-cooking to the shortest-cooking.