Sancocho New York Style Recipes

SANCOCHO

Steps:

• 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.
• Husk the corn, then slice it into 2-inch-thick segments. Set aside.
• Season pork (or beef) and chicken with 1/2 tablespoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Adjust salt to taste, and serve with fresh bread or white rice on the side.

TRUE DOMINICAN SANCOCHO (LATIN 7-MEAT STEW)

Steps:

• Mash garlic, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt together in a bowl.
• Douse chicken, beef, and pork with lemon juice in a large bowl. Drain half the liquid. Mix the mashed garlic, half of the onions, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, and vinegar into the meat mixture.
• Heat the remaining 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat mixture in batches and cook until browned on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer the browned meats into a large pot. Add half of the water, chicken broth, beef consomme, 2 bouillon cubes, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until meats are more than halfway cooked through, about 40 minutes.
• Combine pumpkin, sweet potatoes, eddeos, yuca, potatoes, plantains, corn, celery, carrots, green pepper, cilantro, and adobo seasoning in the simmering pot. Return soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low and continue simmering until the sancocho is thick and the root vegetables are soft, 1 to 2 hours. Stir in the remaining half of the water by gradual increments to replace any evaporated liquid.

SANCOCHO

Steps:

• Place the water in a large saucepan and add the meats, garlic, onion, cilantro, peppers, oregano, salt, pepper and Tabasco. Cook over medium heat until the meat is soft, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Remove the pork chops with a slotted spoon. Remove the bones and return to the pan. Add the pumpkin and the corn and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the yams, plantains, yuca, batata and yautia, and continue to simmer until the tubers soften and thicken the broth, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings and add vinegar and additional Tabasco, if desired. Serve with white rice and avocado.

SANCOCHO NEW YORK STYLE

Steps:

• Puree onions, green onions, tomatillos, and 1 cup broth in a blender or food processor. Place in pressure cooker. Add broth, chicken and beef. Cook for 15 minutes after steam starts escaping from cooker. Remove chicken and let cool. Remove bones and cut into bite size pieces and set aside.
• Meanwhile, dice yucca and plantain. Add to pressure cooker along with cumin, sazon, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes after steam start to escape.
• Return chicken, add additional water if needed and adjust seasonings. Heat through and serve.