Recipe - Ajiaco Criollo Cuban Creole Stew

FOR THE BROTH
One half pound Tasajo (jerked beef); cut in
2inch chunks
1 pound Pork meat; cut in 2inch
chunks
1 pound Beef brisket; cut in 2inch
chunks
1 Bay leaf

FOR THE SOFRITO
One fourth cup Vegetable oil
2 lg Onions; peeled & chopped
1 md Green bell pepper;
cored,seeded,chopped
3 Cloves garlic; minced
1 teaspoon Freshly ground pepper
One half teaspoon Ground cumin
1 cup Tomatoes (canned are fine);
crushed

TO COMPLETE STEW
One half pound (1 medium) yellow malanga
1 pound (2 medium) white malanga
1 pound (2 medium) boniato
One half pound (One half medium) name
1 pound (2 medium) yucca
1 pound (One half medium) calabaza
2 Ears corn; husked
2 Green plantains
One fourth cup Fresh lime juice
2 Semiripe (yellow) plantains
1 Ripe (almost black) plantain

Make the broth:

Cover the tasajo with cold water and soak it for at least 8 hours. (There
is no need to refrigerate it.) Change the water and continue soaking for
another hour. Drain again and rinse under cold running water. Put the
tasajo in a large, heavy pot and add about 6 quarts of water. Bring to a
boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour. Add the pork, beef
brisket, and bay leaf, and let the three meats cook together until tender.
Remove the pot from the heat and skim as much fat as possible from the
broth. (If you have time, the best way is to refrigerate the broth
overnight until the fat solidifies and then remove it.)

Make the Sofrito:

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onions and green
pepper until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic
and cook 2 minutes more. Add the pepper, cumin, and tomatoes and cook for
another 2 minutes.

Add the sofrito to the broth and simmer, covered, while you prepare the
vegetables.

Complete the Dish:

Peel the malanga, boniato, name, yucca, and calabaza and cube them. Cut the
corn and green plantains into 1 1/2inch pieces. With a knife slit the
skin of each piece of greenplantain by opening it away from the center as
if you were taking off a coat. Sprinkle the plantain pieces with the lime
juice. Slit the semiripe and ripe plantains lengthwise and slice them
crosswise into 1 1/2inch rounds. Do not remove their skins or they will
disintegrate in the stew.

Add the green plantains to the simmering stew. After about 15 minutes, add
the semiripe plantains. After another 15 minutes, add the ripe plantains
and let them simmer for about 10 minutes.

Serve hot in soup plates or, cocidostyle, with the meats, vegetables, and
broth in separate dishes. ( Each diner removes the skin from the semiripe
and ripe plantains themselves.)
Recipe By : TVFN Taste Show # 4881

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #314

Date: Sun, 24 Nov 1996 15:53:26 0500

From: Doc1946@aol.com