Sancocho Dominicano
Sancocho is a rich, flavorful stew packed with a variety of meats and starchy vegetables.
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
For the Stew
- 3 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ¾ pound cubed beef stew meat like chuck roast
- ¾ pound pork tenderloin cubed
- ½ pound smoked pork sausage cut into 1 inch slices
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 small red onion finely chopped
- 1 small jalapeno seeded and finely chopped (optional)
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 9 cups chicken stock
- 1 large sweet potato cubed
- 1 ½ cups cubed waxy potato like Yukon Gold
- 2 green plantains pealed and cut into 1 1/2 inch slices
- 2 corn cobs quartered
- 1 cup butternut squash cubes pealed, seeded
For Serving
- 2 avocados sliced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Make the seasoning and season the meats. In a small bowl, mix together the sea salt, ground black pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, and dried oregano. Season the pork and beef with the seasoning mixture.
- Heat the oil and brown the meat. Heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the beef, pork, and smoked pork sausage and stir to brown the meat on all sides. Do not crowd the pan. Brown in batches if you need to. Just add all of the meat back to the pot before continuing to the next step.
- Add the veggies and aromatics. Once the meat has browned, add the red onion, jalapeno, red bell pepper, garlic, fresh parsley, and fresh cilantro. Sauté until fragrant, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken stock. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and allow the stew to simmer for 20 minutes while you cut up the other vegetables.
- Add the potatoes. Add the sweet potatoes, waxy potato, and plantains and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining vegetables. Add the corn and the butternut squash and simmer for 15 minutes or until all the veggies are tender.
- Finish and serve. Remove your sancocho from the heat, divide the stew into bowls, top with avocado slices and cilantro, and serve.
Notes
- Chuck Roast: For beef stew, there is no better cut of meat than chuck. For the best tender flavor, get a chuck pot roast and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks.
- For the smoked pork sausage, I use Andouille Sausages.
- Do not crowd the pan when browning the meat because it will not sear properly. Cook it in batches if you need to.
- Timing is everything. It may be tempting to add all of the veggies at the same time, but you will end up with soggy butternut squash and corn. Follow the recipe and go step by step.
- Be patient. Depending on the size of your veggies, they may take a bit longer to cook. Give everything a test with a fork, and let the stew simmer for a bit longer if the veggies are not softened yet and if the beef is not fall-apart tender.
- Protein. Sancocho often has up to 7 different kinds of meat in it, and you can make Sancocho with chicken or, if you are feeling adventurous, it is the perfect dish to experiment with meats such as lamb, goat, or oxtail. Some Sancocho recipes include seafood. Try adding shrimp or another favorite shellfish. Just note that you will want to add the seafood at the end of the recipe (when the veggies are almost done cooking) instead of at the beginning.
- Try different veggies. You can use a number of starchy veggies. Try kabocha squash instead of butternut squash or yucca in addition to or instead of plantain.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 365kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 1053mg | Potassium: 1040mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 4922IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 3mg
