Puerto Rican Sancocho de Res

5 from 1 vote

Puerto Rican Sancocho de Res is a delicious hearty stew made with tender beef, root vegetables and corn. A comforting, home-style dish served with a side of white rice you will make on repeat!

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 45

Total Time2 15

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Servings:

Calories: 747kcal

Author: Catherine Arena

Ingredients

Beef

2½ pounds beef chuck cut into 1½-inch chunks
adobo seasoning sprinkled or season with salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon oregano
5 cups water

Sancocho Base

1 pound ham steak cut into ½ inch pieces
4 ounces tomato sauce
3 tablespoons sofrito
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 packets sazon with annatto
1 tablespoon garlic paste or 2 tablespoons garlic puree
2 bay leaves
½ cup fresh cilantro rinsed and coarsely chopped plus more for topping
3 tablespoons achiote oil or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons pimiento stuffed olives
3-4 culantro leaves (optional) rinsed and chopped
8 cups beef broth or water more as needed

Root Vegetables

1 pound yuca (cassava) use fresh or frozen, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
½ pound malanga coco (big taro root) peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
1-2 medium yautía (hairy taro root) peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks
1 pound calabaza (kabocha pumpkin) peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks
1 medium batata (boniato) peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks
1 pound carrots peeled and cut into 1½-inch pieces
2 ears corn cut into 2-inch thick pieces

Dumplings

1-2 plantains peeled and grated

Instructions

Cook the Beef

Cut the beef into 1½-inch pieces and season with adobo or salt and pepper to taste. Add the beef to a large pot with enough water to fully cover it (about 5 cups), along with 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ tablespoon of oregano. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for about 1 hour, or until the beef is almost tender. Do not discard the broth.

Prep the Root Vegetables

While the beef cooks, peel and cut the root vegetables. If using yuca, be sure to remove and discard the fibrous membrane from the center, as it is tough and inedible. Place the prepared vegetables in a bowl of water to prevent them from browning. Set aside until ready to use.

Prepare the Sancocho Base

In a separate large pot, heat the achiote oil over medium heat. Add the ham and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Stir in the sofrito, garlic, bay leaves, ground pepper, sazón, tomato sauce, and olives. Cook for 2 minutes and then add the beef broth or water.

Make the Sancocho

Add the cooked beef along with its broth to the pot. Stir to combine and season with salt to taste.
Add the root vegetables, including the corn and carrots. Do not add the yuca and pumpkin yet. Cook for 15-20 minutes.
After 15-20 minutes, add the culantro (if using), plus the yuca and pumpkin. Continue cooking while you prepare the plantain dumplings.

Prepare the Plantain Dumplings

Grate the green plantains using the finest side of a grater. Season it with salt to taste. (The mixture will be very loose, this is normal.) Using your hands or a teaspoon, gently form small, loose dumplings and drop them directly into the stew. Cook for 15-20 minutes.

Finish and Serve

Stir in the fresh cilantro and taste for seasoning. Once the dumplings are cooked through, the sancocho is ready. Top with additional cilantro. Serve hot with a side of arroz blanco (Puerto Rican white rice), tostones and avocado.

Notes

Recipe Notes:

*Below are some recipe substitutions and variations.

Root vegetables: If you cannot find most of the root vegetables in your area, you can still make this dish. Simply use other vegetables in their place like, carrots, potatoes, squash (cut into 2-inch chunks), green plantains (sliced into 1-inch slices) and pumpkin (cut into 2-inch chunks).

Culantro: If you cannot find culantro, use cilantro in its place.

Meat: In addition to beef, you can also use chicken thighs, drumsticks and pork chunks to make this sancocho recipe even heartier.

Cooking Green Bananas: You can also add green cooking banana chunks (1½ inch pieces) to your sancocho as well as make the dumplings.

Nutrition