Peruvian Bean Stew Recipes

PERUVIAN CANARY BEAN STEW

Steps:

• Soak the beans overnight in water.
• The next day, drain and add 4 cups water and the bacon.
• Cover and bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer.
• In a skillet, heat the oil and sauté the rest of the ingredients until beef is browned.
• Stir the meat mixture into the beans.
• Cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 hour.
• Adjust seasoning.
• Serve with rice.
• Cooking time does not include the soaking of the beans overnight.

PERUVIAN BEAN STEW

Steps:

• NOTE: This is best served with steamed white rice, so if, like myself, you have a rice cooker, start that up first thing and cook up about 1 cup of white rice. In a small pot, add chicken broth, 3 tbsp of the lime juice, and about one cup of water. Bring to a boil, add beans, wait till water is boiling again, and then cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 8-10 minutes. Before draining, reserve 1/4 cup of cooking liquid. Drain beans.
• While beans are boiling, chop up onion into small pieces.
• In a large skillet, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic. Keep heat on medium, avoid burning garlic. After about 5 minutes, add beans and increase heat. Give the beans some time to cook off excess liquid, around 10 mins or so. Add sriracha sauce and salt and pepper to taste -- mix thoroughly.
• Add reserved liquid and remaining lime juice back into the pan, and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow most of the liquid to boil off -- about 5 mins. Add evaporated milk and mix very well.
• After one or two minutes, remove from heat, add 1/2 cup of plain, crumbled feta or other mild, solid, salty goat or sheep's cheese (i.e. queso blanco) and mix constantly until slightly melted.
• Garnish with onions, serve over rice.

SPICY PERUVIAN STEW (CARAPULCRA)

Steps:

• Papa seca: In a dry Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the papa seca and toast until fragrant and light brown in spots, 5 minutes. (If you find small rocks or impurities while toasting, remove and discard.) Fill a medium bowl with 3 cups of water; add the toasted papa seca and stir to submerge. Set aside to soak, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, wipe the pot clean and prepare the pork belly.
• Pork belly: In the same Dutch oven over medium heat, add canola oil. Slice pork belly into 1-inch chunks, removing and discarding any skin. When oil is shimmering, add pork in an even layer and brown, 5 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, prep sofrito ingredients.
• Sofrito: Finely dice the onion; chop the garlic. When pork belly is brown on both sides, transfer to a plate and set aside, leaving the rendered fat behind. Reduce heat to low; add onion and garlic, along with a pinch of salt, and stir to combine. Sauté until brown and caramelized, stirring occasionally, 20-30 minutes.
• Add aji amarillo and aji panca pastes to the caramelized sofrito. Turn heat to high and toast, stirring continuously to prevent burning, 5 minutes. Add wine and deglaze the pan; reduce, stirring, until the moisture has been cooked out and the mixture is dark and paste-like, 5 more minutes.Add the pork and stir to coat; then add the papa seca, including the soaking liquid. Add enough water to submerge all the ingredients in liquid, about 3 more cups. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently, uncovered, until potatoes are soft and pork is tender, stirring occasionally. Total cooking time will be 1½-2 hours, but check stew after 1 hour. Add 1 cup water to thin the stew. Continue cooking, adding water as necessary, until pork is tender and potatoes are soft, 30-45 more minutes.
• After 1½-2 hours, stew should be thick and creamy; add a few tablespoons of water to thin, if necessary. Heat stew to a low simmer, then add chocolate, sugar, a pinch of salt, and cumin. Pick leaves from oregano sprig, roughly chop, and add to stew; roughly chop toasted peanuts and add to the stew. Stir to combine. When the chocolate is melted and fully incorporated, season to taste with salt and serve. Serving suggestion: Chef Ramirez serves carapulcra with white rice on the side, and tops each bowl of stew with salsa criolla: shaved red onions tossed in fresh lime juice, cilantro, and salt to taste.