Sancocho

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons achiote oil
• 1 pound beef stew meat
• 1/2 onion
• 1/4 green pepper
• 3 bay leafs
• 1/2 cup sofrito
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup recao (about 3 whole leaves)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sazón
• 1 teaspoon adobo
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 green plantain
• 1 pound yuca (cassava) (about 2 pieces)
• 1 pound yautia (taro)
• 2 corn cobs
• 1/2 pound Kent pumpkin
• 1 pound potato
• 1/2 pound carrots
• 10 cups water

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Cooking the meat ---

2. 2

   In a large Dutch oven over high heat add your achiote oil. Add your meat and brown for 6 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and cook for about 2 minutes.

3. 3

   Now add the tomato sauce, sofrito, recao, sazón, adobo, salt, ground thyme. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Add 6 cups of water, stir and cover. Cook for 30 minutes.

4. 4

   --- Cooking the vegetables ---

5. 5

   To save time, cut your vegetables while the meat is cooking. Peel the plantains, yuca, yautia, pumpkin, potatoes and carrots. Roughly cut the vegetables into 1 inch cubes. Cut the corn into 6 pieces each or less if you want bigger pieces of corn.

6. 6

   Last, add your chopped vegetables and the 6 cups of water left. Stir and cook for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid the vegetables sticking to the bottom of your pan. Serve and enjoy right away.