The Sancocho recipe has many variations among different Latin American countries and even within these countries' inner regions. This specific recipe belongs to Colombia's Caribbean region. The traditional ingredients can even add up to 7 different kinds of meats, including: pork chops, chicken breasts, chicken legs, short ribs, salt pork, udder and salt beef. The following just calls for five of the most common meats. Even though this recipe is supposed to yield six servings, take into account there is one piece of each meat per person. It is very uncommon for one person to eat these many pieces of meat, so according to your guests' appetite and choice of meat, the recipe may be appropriate for a larger group.
Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings: 6
Ingredients
6 pork chops
6 chicken pieces (breasts and/or legs)
6 short ribs
3 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 tsp ground cumin
1 garlic head, peeled and minced
6 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
8 oz apple cider vinegar
3 tomatoes, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
2 cubanelles, top removed, unseeded and chopped
salt to taste
salt to taste
2 tbsp green onion, chopped
6 cilantro branches, cut in 3
2 col or cabbage leaves
2 ripe plantains on the shell, cut in 3 pieces each
3 corn on the cob, cut in 3 pieces each
3 lbs yuca, peeled and cut in large pieces
3 lbs ñame, peeled and cut in large pieces
Steps
1. In a large pot pan season pork chops, chicken pieces and short ribs with black pepper, cumin, garlic, tomatoes, onion, cubanelles, lime juice and vinegar
2. Add enough water to soak the meats and come about 3 inches above the pieces. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil
3. As soon as the water boils, remove the lid, add the salt pork pieces and cover again
4. After a couple of minutes, remove the lid, taste the water and add salt to taste, if necessary. Cover again
5. After 1/2 hour check if the meats are thoroughly cooked and start removing from pot in the following order: chicken legs, chicken breasts and pork chops. The chicken legs should take approximately 30min, the breasts 45min and the pork chops about one hour. Leave aside
6. Add corn, yuca and ñame, cover and cook these, the salt pork pieces and the short ribs for 40 more minutes
7. Remove the lid and add the plantains on the shell, the green onions, the cilantro branches and the col or cabbage leaves. Cover and cook for 20 more minutes
8. Just before serving, add back the chicken pieces and pork chops to warm these up
9. For an easier serving, place the meats on one large serving tray; the corn, yuca, ñame and plantain on another large serving tray and the broth in a large serving bowl. In this way each guest will be able to select their desired ingredients. They can either have the dry ingredients separately from the broth, or they can chop the chosen dry ingredients and add them to a soup bowl mixing these with the broth
Serve with
Egg Salad- Great soup topping (To be published June 25 2013)
9. For an easier serving, place the meats on one large serving tray; the corn, yuca, ñame and plantain on another large serving tray and the broth in a large serving bowl. In this way each guest will be able to select their desired ingredients. They can either have the dry ingredients separately from the broth, or they can chop the chosen dry ingredients and add them to a soup bowl mixing these with the broth
Serve with
