Recipe: Dominican Sancocho with Seven Meats

SANCOCHO WITH SEVEN MEATS
By Lita R. Ruiz
From a recipe by Mar a Ram rez de Car as

4 lb of Dominican pork sausage
1 lb bacon
1 tbsp oil
1 chicken (3 to 4 lb), cut in pieces and washed with water and sour orange (or lemon)
1 lb spare ribs (beef) cut in 2-inch pieces
1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
8 smoked pork chops
8 fresh pork chops, washed with water and sour orange juice (or lemon)
1 lb spare ribs (mutton) cut in 2-inch pieces, washed with water and sour orange juice (or lemon)
2 tsp capers
2 tbsp cooking sherry
1 gallon of water (approximately)
8 cloves of garlic (crushed)
3 medium red onions cut in chunks
2 medium red peppers cut in chunks
6 chicken broth cubes
1 beef broth cube
3 tsp oregano
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 tbsp brown sugar
3 grains of malagueta pepper
5 green plantains grated and rolled into 1 1/2 inch "fingers". (Refrigerate until cooking time, to avoid darkening.)
2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups of cassava, peeled and diced
2 cups of taro roots, peeled and diced
2 cups of yam, peeled and diced
3 cups pumpkin, peeled and diced
4 ears of corn cut in three pieces each
2 tbsp sour orange juice or vinegar
2 tbsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp black ground pepper (or to taste)

1. Boil the sausage in 6 cups of water for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool at room temperature in the cooking water. Reserve.

2. Fry the bacon in oil until golden brown. Reserve.

3. Caramelize 1/2 tbsp of brown sugar in a heavy skillet and brown the chicken pieces. Dissolve one chicken broth cube in half a cup of boiling water and pour over chicken. Add 1/4 of the garlic and 1/2 tsp oregano. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender. Reserve.

4. Prepare the meat in the same manner as the chicken, but adding 1/2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce, and substituting the chicken broth cube for the beef broth. You may have to add one or two more cups of water until meat is tender.

5. Boil the smoked pork chops in 6 cups of water for 10 minutes. Let them cool in the cooking water and reserve.

6. Caramelize 1/2 tbsp of brown sugar in a heavy skillet and brown fresh pork chops. Dissolve one chicken broth cube in half a cup of boiling water and pour over chops. Add and 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/4 of the garlic, and tsp of ground black pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat tender. You may need one or two more cups of water. Reserve.

7. Brown mutton in 1/2 tsp brown sugar, add 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 chicken broth cube dissolved in 1/2 cup of boiling water, the rest of the garlic, 2 tsp of capers and 2 tbsp cooking sherry. Cover and simmer until meat is tender. This could take 1 hour. Add 1/2 cup of water every 15 to 20 minutes. Reserve.

8. In a large pot put 12 cups of water with 3 chicken broth cubes, onions, peppers, cilantro, the rest of the oregano and malagueta pepper. Boil for 10 minutes.

9. Add the plantain "fingers", sweet potato, cassava, pumpkin, taro, yam, and corn. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Discard the malagueta pepper.

10. Add chicken, spare ribs (beef and mutton), fresh pork chops and bacon.

11. Drain sausage and smoked pork chops and discard liquids. Add to pot with the rest of the ingredients.

12. At this point you may want to thicken or thin the cooking broth. If it's too thin liquefy some of the cooked pumpkin; add again and mix well. If on the contrary it's too thick, add some water. Thickness will depend on the quality and freshness of ingredients.

13. Add sour orange juice, salt and the rest of ground black pepper. Mix well and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes, or until the desired consistency is obtained. Do not cover.

14. Serve while hot with steamed rice, avocado slices, and chile sauce.

Enjoy the Dominican Sancocho.