Sancocho

In the Philippines where I come from, we have a process of cooking called “sankutsa” or sangkucha” which basically means cooking with the barest of ingredients. It is the term we generally use for pork, with fat on, cut into 2 inch thick pieces, with only garlic, salt, peppercorns and 1 or 2 bay leaves, and cooked in a little water. It is the adobo sangkucha where there is no added soy sauce or vinegar.

Sorry but I don't think you can't make a proper sancocho with just vegetables. What enhances the taste is the variety of meat, and vegetables that provides the proper consistency and taste in the sancocho. We (puertorricans)believe that a good sancocho has healing powers when you are sick (revive un muerto) is the best cure for hangover and a complete meal. Also when you use sweet plantains they must be firm,not too ripe or else they will break down and sweeten the taste of the soup.

My Dominican mother in law always added several stalks of cilantro (not chopped) to her sancocho, and it adds to the flavor.

I just had sancocho colombiano last week, made by a friend, and it took me back to my childhood in Honduras. I must say, you need to have the bones for added flavor. We’d make the sancocho with bone-in drumsticks and thighs. The rest is pretty much the same as this recipe. Absolutely delicioso!

Mr. Diaz, You nailed it. My family made it this way, but the recipe got lost along the way. You have come to my rescue. Thank you.

When I was a Peace Corps volunteer in a fishing village outside of Cartagena, Colombia in the 1960s I ate sancocho de pescado almost every day. The fish was usually mullet, but almost any fish would probably do. In addition to plantains and yuca, the sancocho also had a tuber called ñame, which I have never seen since.

It doesn't freeze well. the root vegetables in it don't take to freezing.

- Purple yam instead of taro - next time try shrimp instead of pork - ham hock for smoke and pork flavor - add a scotch bonnet for spice - use spicy pork cooking sausage (not cured chorizo) - use 1/2 kabocha skinned to dissolve, 1/2 kabocha to add at end not skinned - use sweet corn Overall soup was DELICIOUS and would def make again - serve w Caribbean hot sauce

We make vegetarian sancocho at home, with chicken broth and meat on the side, so that everyone can join. Build your flavor using loads of garlic, spring onion and cilantro, and husked corn cobs. Add the kernels later. Make sure to cook it for a good stretch of time so that the different tubers can melt in the heat without burning. We add grilled tofu, which we marinate with soy sauce and cream (skip for vegan guests), and serve the soup with hogao, chopped cilantro, white rice, avocado.

The one and only. The best food ever you would need to make, you will never regret it.

I found all the ingredients at Luna Brothers at the Essex St. Market in NYC.

Sofrito is the basic Spanish tomato sauce for making paella.

Sancocho is a staple in my home state of Antioquia (Colombia), not exactly the Caribbean. We do it “de gallina”, i.e chicken based, or “de res”, i.e beef based. A good bone is key for the latter. Ripe AND green plantain, potatoes, and corn on the cob are other musts. A good ají picante on the side! Cerveza to drink.