Ingredients

• 1 and ½ pounds corned beef brisket, cut into pieces*

• 1 pound salt pork, cut into large chunks

• 2 tablespoons of crushed garlic, divided

• 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• ½ teaspoon of black pepper

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1-2 extra-large bouillon cubes

• 2 teaspoons of tomato paste

• 18 cups of water

• 1 and ½ cups of dried yellow* hominy (or samp)

• ½ cup of feijão pedra (rock beans) (soak them overnight)

• ½ cup of cranberry beans (soak them overnight)

• ⅔ cup of large white lima beans

• 1 medium sized mandioca (yuca)

• 4 cups of chopped collard greens or kale, rinsed

• 1 pound of chouriço or linguiça, sliced into rounds

preparation

Season the corned beed and salt pork the night before with the vinegar, bay leaf, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the crushed garlic. Let the meat marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Soak the feijao pedra (rock beans) overnight as well.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large stockpot and add the chopped onions, and other tablespoon of garlic. Transfer the bay leaf from the seasoned meat to the pot. Saute the onions until they are fragrant.

Add the marinated meats to the pan (in a single layer if possible) and let the meat brown for about 10 minutes (5 minutes on each side). Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.

Add 1 bouillon cube and the tomato paste to the pot and whisk until the bay leaf has dissolved and the the tomato paste is smooth. Add the meat back to the pot and add the water. The water level should reach the handles of the pot. Cover the pot with a lid.

Bring the pot to a boil and thoroughly rinse the hominy and add to the pot. Let it reach a boil again, and then turn the flame down to low. Cover the pot with the lid and simmer for 1 hour. Check on the hominy every 30 minutes to give it a stir and make sure that there is plenty of water. (It helps to have a kettle of boiling water on-hand throughout the cooking process, so you can add more water at any point if needed. Do not use cold water.)

After the first hour is up, add the feijão pedra and cranberry beans to the pot, stir and cover it again with the lid. Stir and check the water level every 30 minutes. The liquid will thicken as it cooks.

Once the second hour is up, remove the meat from the pan (if desired), and “shred” it by lightly pressing a fork against the meat. This step is optional but helps break up some of the pieces of meat, and make more room in the pan for the remaining ingredients. You may notice that the fat from the salt pork will become detached from the meat. Feel free to discard the fat.

Add the meat back to the pot, stir it again and add the fava beans, yuca, and greens. (If the greens are too bulky add about half the greens at first, let them cook for 10 minutes and then add the rest) Let everything cook for about 45 minutes.

The chourico is the last ingredient to get added to the pot. Once you add it, let it cook for about 20 minutes. At this point you want to stir and taste the cachupa. Add another bouillon cube if desired. Let everything simmer for another 10-15 minutes.

Turn of the flame and let the cachupa rest (covered) for 20-30 minutes. Ladle it into bowls and serve with a few drops of hot sauce or chili paste.

Print Recipe

Cachupa ??

Cooking Method: Braising Country: ?? Cap-Vert Courses: Dinner, Lunch