This version of sancocho (Dominican meat and vegetable stew) has been simplified a bit. The original recipe is often made with seven kinds of meat and served on special occasions or holidays. My fiancé is from the Dominican Republic, and his mother has made some amazing food for me — the first time she made sancocho, I fell in love with it. Don't be afraid to use more types of meat than I use in this recipe. This filling stew is great by itself or served over rice in the traditional way. It tastes even better the next day!
Ingredients
- oregano: 0.25 cup (dried)
- garlic: 5 clove (minced)
- salt: 2 tsp (divided)
- bone-in beef chuck: 1 pound
- bone-in pork loin roast: 1 pound
- chicken drumsticks: 5 piece (to taste)
- lemons: 2 piece (juiced)
- onions, quartered: 2 piece
- vegetable oil: 2 Tbsp
- vinegar: 1 Tbsp
- vegetable oil: 0.5 cup
- ¼ gallons water: 1 piece (or as needed)
- chicken broth: 1 can (14 ounce can)
- beef consomme: 1 can (10.5 ounce can)
- beef bouillon cubes: 4 piece (divided)
- ½ pounds Spanish pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks: 1 piece
- sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks: 1 pound
- eddeos, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks: 1 pound
- yuca (cassava) roots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks: 0.5 pound
- potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks: 0.5 pound
- green plantains, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks: 2 piece
- ears corn on the cob, cut into quarters: 2 piece
- stalks celery: 3 piece (diced)
- carrots: 2 piece (chopped, to taste)
- green bell pepper: 1 piece (diced)
- bunch cilantro: 1 piece (chopped)
- pinch adobo seasoning: 1 piece (optional)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Mash oregano, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl until well combined.
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Mix beef, pork, chicken, and lemon juice together in a large bowl; drain 1/2 of the liquid. Mix in onions, mashed garlic mixture, 2 tablespoons oil, and vinegar.
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Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat mixture in three batches and cook until browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes per batch.
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Transfer browned meats to an 8-quart Dutch oven. Pour in 1/2 of the water, then add chicken broth, beef consommé, 2 bouillon cubes, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until meats are more than halfway cooked through, about 40 minutes.
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Add pumpkin, sweet potatoes, eddeos, yuca, potatoes, plantains, corn, celery, carrots, bell pepper, cilantro, remaining bouillon cubes, and adobo seasoning to the Dutch oven. Increase the heat to medium and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring in remaining water as needed in gradual increments to replace evaporated liquid, until root vegetables are soft and liquid has thickened, 1 to 2 hours.
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During the last 30 minutes of cooking, transfer beef, pork, and chicken to a cutting board. Let cool slightly, then remove bones and chop or shred meat. Return meat to the stew and finish cooking.
