Sancocho Recipes for Caribbean Style Meat and Vegetable Stew
Sancocho is a rustic Caribbean versatile stew made with every possible combination of red and white meat, fish, seafood and and vegetables. Just about every major ingredient can be swapped or replaced with a substitute such as in-season vegetables. It is easily transformed into a vegetarian or vegan dish without meat, using vegetable stocks. Sancocho is the ultimate versatile dish made with whatever you have on hand and like to include. It includes readily available herbs and spices.
Classic Sancocho Recipe with Mixed Meats and Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sofrito
- 1 green plantain
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 1 yellow sweet plantain
- 1 medium yuca (or similar)
- 10 cups pork or beef stock
- 1 to 2 fresh ears sweet corn
- 1 medium white yautia (taro root)
- 1 cup thinly sliced Spanish chorizo
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 10 oz (280 g) calabaza (pumpkin) or kabocha squash
- 1 lb (500 g) pork or beef stew meat, trimmed of excess fat and cut into cubes
- 1 lb (500 g) boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into cubes
Method
Peel and slice the yautia, green plantain, yuca, and yellow plantain (or substitutes) into 1-inch (2 cm) cubes. Remove the seeds, then chop the calabaza into 1-inch (2 cm) cubes, leaving the skin on, Place each set of cut ingredients into a separate bowl. Add water to just cover the vegetables to stop them turning brown while you prepare the other ingredients for the soup. Next, husk the corn, then slice it into short segments. and set aside. Then, season pork, beef) or chicken (or seafood) with 1/2 tablespoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of rice bran or grape seed oil in a large deep frying pan or Dutch oven pot over moderate to high. Add the meat is small batches and brown on all sides, cooking for 5 minutes. Transfer each batch, when cooked, to a small bowl using a slotted spoon. Next, lower the heat setting to medium-low. Add the sofrito to the pot and use a spatula to scrape up any browned bits of meat, blending them into the mix. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated and mixture becomes dark in color. Transfer the meat back into the pot and add the stock, bay leaves, and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring the mixture to the boil over high heat and then lower the setting to moderate-low to get the mixture to simmer gently. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the vegetables from firmest to softest so that they will not be over cooked. Start with the yuca, and then after 5 minutes add the yautia, then the yellow plantain, green plantain, calabaza and finally the corn and optional herbs. This will mean the yuca cooks for a total of 30 minutes and the corn for only 5 minutes, with the rest of the ingredients, in between. Next, add the chorizo and cook for another 10-15 minutes until the meat and vegetables are tender. Add a little extra stock if necessary but the stew is meant to be quite thick. Adjust the salt to taste, and serve with fresh bread or steamed white rice and steamed vegetables.
Venezuelan Beef and Mixed Vegetable Soup Recipe with Fresh Herbs (Sancocho de Costilla)
Ingredients
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 leek, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 6 cups of high quality beef stock
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (30 ml) canola oil
- 3 teaspoons black peppercorns, crushed
- 4 small sweet peppers, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped green onions
- 2 cobs corn, cut into 4 pieces for each cob
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped
- 2 cups peeled and roughly chopped butternut squash
- 1 kg(2.2 lb) beef short ribs, trimmed and cut between each bone
Method
Heat the oil over medium to high heat in a heavy deep pan or a Dutch oven until very hot. Add short ribs sear for 2-3 minutes on each side, turning once, until well-brown browned. Add the garlic, carrots, leek, onion and celery, and continue frying for an additional 5 minutes. Next, add the peppercorns, bay leaves, stir through, and then pour in the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the mixture to a low simmer. Cover the pan or Dutch oven, and cook for an additional 70- 80 minutes, until the beef is cooked through and the mixture has thickened. Next, add the sweet potato, sweet peppers, squash and cook for another 25-30 minutes. Add the corn about half-way through the cooking. Taste and season the sopup with salt. Remove the pan from the heat. Spoon the sancocho into serving bowls. Garnish with coriander and green onions. Add a lime wedge and serve hot with steamed rice, crusty bread and steamed vegetables.
Beef, Chicken and Sausage Sancocho Recipe with Mixed Vegetables and Spices
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons sofrito
- 1 yucca (about 2 cups)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 ears corn, cut into sections
- 1 lb (500 g) stew meat , cut in chunks
- 1-2 tablespoons rice bran or grape seed oil
- 6 cups chicken broth , adjust to desired taste
- 1/2 lb (250 g) andouille sausage, thickly sliced
- 1 large green plantain , peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 lb (500 g) skinless chicken thighs , cut into cubes
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes
- 1 cup Caribbean pumpkin , (calabaza or butternut squash)
Method
Season all the meat with salt, pepper and your choice of spices. Set aside, covered at room temperature for 15-30 minutes.
Heat the oil to hot in a Dutch oven or large, deep, heavy pot over moderate to high heat. Add the meat in batches and brown the pieces well on all sides, cooking for about 6-7 minutes. Add the sausage and cook the mixture for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the meat and sausage and set aside. Then, using the same pan, add the cumin, paprika, sofrito, garlic, oregano and sazon. Sauté for about 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Then, add the onions, cook for about 5 minutes. Next, pour in the broth, return the beef to the pot and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes and then add the chicken and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Then, add root vegetables in turn in the order of their cooking times. You aim to have all the vegetables just cooked when the cooking is completed, ending with the corn. Taste and season with salt and pepper as required. Add any extra fresh herbs and spices to suit your taste preferences. Serve hot in small bowls ensuring each dish has an array of the meat and vegetables. Top with fresh herbs and freshly ground black pepper.
