Sancocho Dominicano (Caribbean Meat & Vegetable Stew)
A rich, comforting Dominican sancocho made with tender pork cuts, plantains, yuca, yautía, corn, and kabocha squash—finished with fresh herbs and lime. Serve with white rice and avocado.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 516kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb 454 g pork loin end chops
- 1½ lbs 680 g pork stew cubes
- ½ lb 227 g smoked pork neck bones
- 1½ teaspoons adobo seasoning about 4.5 g, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper about 1.2 g
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano about 1.5 g, divided
- 2 tablespoons 30 ml homemade sofrito
- 1 tablespoon 15 ml vegetable oil
- 2 ears corn cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) rounds
- 1 lb 454 g kabocha squash, peeled and seeded
- 2 green plantains peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
- 1 lb 454 g white yautía, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
- 1 lb 454 g yuca (cassava), peeled; cut into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces, halved lengthwise
- 1 large carrot peeled and sliced (about 200 g)
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 1 teaspoon whole allspice malagueta (about 2 g)
- 4 culantro recao leaves
- 2 tablespoons cilantro with stems tied into a bundle
- 5 fresh thyme sprigs
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes 0.5 g
- Kosher salt and more black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice 15 ml
Instructions
- Trim excess fat and rinse with lemon juice or vinegar and cold water. Pat dry. In a bowl, mix pork with 1 teaspoon adobo, black pepper, 1 teaspoon oregano, and sofrito until coated.
- Heat oil in a 6-qt (5.7-L) pot over medium-high. Sear pork on all sides. Cover, reduce to medium, and cook until tender, 30–40 minutes, adding splashes of water so it doesn’t scorch. Remove pork and reserve.
- Add all cut vegetables to the pot and pour in water to fill about ¾ of the pot. Bring to a boil; add bouillon and whole allspice. Cook 15–20 minutes, until squash is tender.
- Blend the cooked squash with ½ cup (120 ml) hot broth and ½ cup (120 ml) cool water until smooth. Stir purée back into the pot.
- Tie cilantro, culantro, and thyme with twine; add the bundle to the pot. Simmer on medium 20 minutes.
- Stir in remaining ½ teaspoon adobo, remaining ½ teaspoon oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Return pork to the pot and simmer 10–20 minutes more, until roots are tender.
- Discard the herb bundle and allspice. Stir in lime juice.
- Serve hot with arroz blanco and avocado.
Notes
- For mixed-meat sancocho (pork, beef, chicken), cook each protein until tender and hold aside; return all meats to the pot for the final simmer.
- Keep root veggies in even sizes so they cook uniformly; pull any pieces that soften early and add back before serving.
- Start the White Rice (Arroz Blanco) when your pot first comes to a boil to sync the timing.
Nutrition
Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 525mg | Potassium: 1301mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2301IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 3mg