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Dominican style sancocho in a white bowl garnished with avocado.
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5 from 1 vote

Dominican Sancocho

Dominican sancocho is a traditional stew made with meats and víveres—starchy root vegetables like yuca, yautía, batata and plantains. Versions of sancocho are popular across Latin America and the Caribbean, each with its own unique style.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time1 hr 30 mins
Total Time3 hrs
Servings: 6 people
Author: Crystal DaCruz

Equipment

  • aluminum pan (caldero)

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs beef round or chuck cut into 1-2 inch cubes
  • 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-2 inch cubes
  • 1.5 lbs boneless pork ribs cut into 1-2 inch cubes
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • ¼ cup sofrito homemade or store-bought is fine
  • 2 teaspoon sazón with azafran (yellow packet)
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon oregano use Dominican oregano if you can find it
  • 2 teaspoon adobo
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 sour orange or lime cut in half
  • 3 tablespoon cooking oil vegetable or olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 extra-large bouillon cubes Maggi brand is preferred
  • 3 green plantains cut 2 of them into 1-inch pieces, leave 1 whole
  • 1 lb squash (auyama, kobucha or acorn) cut into quarters
  • 1 lbs yuca- cut into 2-inch pieces
  • ½ pound yautia (white taro)
  • 2 ears of corn on the cob cut into thirds (or 2-inch rounds)
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro for garnish
  • 1 lb batata (this is a sweet potato with white flesh, typically has red skin)
  • 1 avocado

Instructions

Prep the meat the night before

  • Soak the cubed beef, pork, and chicken in a large bowl with water and vinegar for 10–15 minutes. Drain, rinse well, and pat dry with paper towels.
  • Season the meat with sofrito, adobo, sazón, and black pepper. Cover and let it marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes to an hour, or overnight.

Making the sancocho

  • Heat the oil in a large aluminum pan, add the sugar, and let it melt and caramelize until it turns deep brown. Then sear the meat on all sides.
  • Add the squash and one whole plantain to the pan with the meat. Pour in 4 to 6 cups of water—just enough to cover everything—and add the bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 40 minutes.
  • While everything simmers, peel and slice the remaining plantains into ½-inch rounds. Then peel and cut the yuca, yautía, and batata into 1-inch pieces. Soak them in water to keep from browning. Tip: soak the batata separately
  • Once the squash and whole plantain are soft, remove them from the pot with a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Mash by hand until smooth (you can use a food processor for this step if you’d like).
  • Drain the root vegetables, then add them to the pot along with the mashed squash and plantain. Stir everything together, lay the cilantro on top, and cook for another 35-45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
  • Turn burner off, discard cilantro and add the fresh lime juice. Cover and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
  • Spoon into bowls and serve with white rice and sliced avocado on the side.

Notes

Helpful tips:
  • For best results, marinate the meat overnight in the refrigerator
  • Soak the peeled/diced root vegetables in water to keep them from turning brown. Soak the batata separately, since it's added later.
  • Let the sancocho rest for 10-15 minutes before serving
Storing and reheating leftovers:
  • Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Warm leftovers in a pan, adding a splash of water if the broth has thickened too much.
  • Serve again with reheated white rice and fresh avocado.