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Reader Lisa Contreras adds:
"I never expected to see our favorite dish--Sancocho--featured in this
eagerly anticipated newsletter. We not only eat this at New Year's but also at any
other time when we want to make our Dominican family and/or guests feel special.
Your recipe is very close to the one we have used for years but we also add diced
tomatoes and achiote (annato) for color and adobo (with pleny of garlic) for a
wonderful and unique flavor."
Sancocho
(Dominican Republic)
Boy, is this soup good--piquant, savory, intensely meaty, and bursting with color and
flavor. Sandra Takaki sent me the recipe, and here's what she says about it: "Sancocho is one of those comfort foods that we eat especially around
Christmas. The night to eat it (or morning, as you see fit) is New
Years, after a night of celebrating. One can eat a bowl right before going
to sleep, and then eat the leftovers the next day. It is, as we say,
levanta muertos--or ‘raises the dead.’ The truth behind sancocho is that it is made, like many soups, with whatever you have at hand. This is one version of it, but there are many
versions. Normally I have chicken in my house, so I just make it with
chicken, and if I have chorizo I will put some in. If I have
potatoes, maybe I will put them in as well. In the Dominican Republic the best
sancocho is the Sancocho de 7 carnes (7-meat Sancocho) which is
really meat from 4 different animals (one is always goat), but sausages are
counted as different meats. ...So enjoy, and Buen Provecho!" Serve hot as a meal to 6 lucky people.
- Juice from 2 sour oranges (or a mix of lemon and orange juice)
- 1/4 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/6 bunch fresh oregano, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, mashed
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lb. chicken (with or without bones), cut into bite-size chunks
- 1/3 lb. pork shoulder cut into bite-size chunks
- 1/3 lb. uncooked pork chops cut up into bite-size chunks
- 1/2 lb. beef stew meat, cut into bite-size chunks
- 2 pieces cooking ham cut into medium-sized pieces.
- 1/4 lb. longaniza (blood sausage) sliced into ½-inch slices
- 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 cups chicken stock (or beef)
- 1/4 oz Ajies Gustosos (small chilies), chopped
- 1 Anaheim or Cuban pepper, chopped
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 1 ear fresh corn cut into 6 pieces
- 2 "green" plantain (platanos), peeled and washed in water with lime juice and then each cut into 8 pieces
- 1/3 lb. pumpkin (auyama) cut into bite-size chunks
- 1/4 lb. yellow yam (Yautia amarilla) cut into bite-size chunks
- 1/4 lb. white yam (Yautia blanca) cut into bite-size chunks
- 1/3 lb. yucca cut into bite-size chunks
- 1/3 lb. sweet potatoes (batata) cut into bite-size chunks
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups cooked rice (optional)
2. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven. Drain the meats, reserving the marinade, and add them to the pot, browning on all sides. Stir in the marinade and a little stock to scrape up and dissolve the flavorful brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Pour in the rest of the stock and bring to a boil. Add all the vegetables, return to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 1-2 hours. The longer it is simmered, Sandra says, the better...and I agree.
3. If you plan to serve with rice, start it while the soup is cooking.
4. When ready to serve, add salt and pepper to taste. If you want a thick texture, you may puree some of the vegetables and pour the puree back into the soup...but what a shame to cover up the brilliance and texture of these colorful chunks of veggies. Ladle into deep bowls, adding 1 or 2 tbsp of rice. A couple of drops of hot sauce does bring out the taste. To echo Sandra, buen provecho!