Sancocho
Published Jan. 29, 2023
- Total Time
- 1½ hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1medium yuca
- 1medium white yautia (taro root)
- 1green plantain
- 1yellow sweet plantain
- 10ounces calabaza (pumpkin) or kabocha squash
- 1 to 2fresh ears sweet corn
- 1pound pork or beef stew meat, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1pound boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1½tablespoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste
- ¼teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1tablespoon olive oil, plus more as needed
- ½cup sofrito
- 10cups pork or beef stock
- 3dried bay leaves
- 1cup thinly sliced Spanish chorizo
- Fresh bread or white rice, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
469 calories; 16 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 58 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 27 grams protein; 1252 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Peel and cut the yuca, yautia, green plantain and yellow plantain into 1-inch pieces. Scrape out the seeds, then chop the calabaza, skin on, into 1-inch pieces. Put each ingredient in a separate bowl, adding water to cover vegetables in order to prevent them from turning brown while you prepare the rest of the soup.
- Step 2
Husk the corn, then slice it into 2-inch-thick segments. Set aside.
- Step 3
Season pork (or beef) and chicken with ½ tablespoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Step 4
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add the pork and brown on all sides for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a clean, large bowl, then add the chicken to the same pot, and brown on both sides for another 5 minutes, adding oil as needed if the pot gets dry. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the same bowl as the pork.
- Step 5
Reduce heat to medium and add sofrito to the pot, scraping up any browned bits of meat and incorporating them into the mix. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until liquid has evaporated and mixture darkens in color.
- Step 6
Return the pork, chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the stock, bay leaves and remaining 1 tablespoon salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Step 7
To keep the vegetables from falling apart, add each one in order of firmness, cooking each for 5 minutes before adding the next. Begin with the yuca, then yautia, green plantain, yellow plantain, calabaza and corn, cooking the yuca for a total of 30 minutes and the corn for only 5 minutes.
- Step 8
Add chorizo and stir well to incorporate. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes over medium-low heat until meat and vegetables are tender and break easily with a fork. Because of all the starches and meat in this dish, this stew tends to be thick and rich. Some of the vegetables will fall apart, giving it a porridge consistency. This is a good thing.
- Step 9
Adjust salt to taste, and serve with fresh bread or white rice on the side.
- Root vegetables such as yuca and yautia can be difficult to find in some supermarkets, though you may be able to find them in the freezer section. Farmers’ markets, or Hispanic, Caribbean or Asian supermarkets are your best bet. There’s no real substitute for the rich, earthy flavor of these tubers, but potatoes can be used. If using potatoes, reduce the cooking time.
Private Notes
Comments
In the Philippines where I come from, we have a process of cooking called “sankutsa” or sangkucha” which basically means cooking with the barest of ingredients. It is the term we generally use for pork, with fat on, cut into 2 inch thick pieces, with only garlic, salt, peppercorns and 1 or 2 bay leaves, and cooked in a little water. It is the adobo sangkucha where there is no added soy sauce or vinegar.
Sorry but I don't think you can't make a proper sancocho with just vegetables. What enhances the taste is the variety of meat, and vegetables that provides the proper consistency and taste in the sancocho. We (puertorricans)believe that a good sancocho has healing powers when you are sick (revive un muerto) is the best cure for hangover and a complete meal. Also when you use sweet plantains they must be firm,not too ripe or else they will break down and sweeten the taste of the soup.
My Dominican mother in law always added several stalks of cilantro (not chopped) to her sancocho, and it adds to the flavor.
Ripe plantain? Interesting. With the understanding that every country who makes sancocho have their own variants, adding ripe plantain is a new concept to me. I learned to make the Dominican Republic variation which is the same except for the ripe plantain, the chorizo and stock. The stock is made from the cooking of the meats used, so I've only ever added water after searing the meats.
I found the meat needed to be cooked for longer before adding veggies, or cut into smaller pieces in order for it to be tender. Our rump roast came out pretty tough with following the timing of the recipe.
My grandma uses pig feet (patitas de cerdo) instead of beef. I cannot put in words the joy you get from eating the patitas off the bone. They’re sometimes sold already salted, so mind any extra salt. Purple yautía is way better in my opinion than the white variety, but it’s a matter of taste. This recipe lacks a lot of root vegetables that could help this be more vegetarian friendly: malanga, ñame, apio and carrots. Also, I would not add ripe plantain. Instead, add green (unripe) bananas.
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