A hearty, thick, and comforting Argentine locro made with white hominy, beans, squash, and smoked meats. Served piping hot with a spicy chili sauce, it captures the spirit of Argentina's communal gatherings.
Ingredients
- 250 g dried white hominy for pozole or mote corn
- 150 g dried white beans
- 600 g kabocha squash or butternut squash
- 1 piece yellow onion
- 1 piece leek
- 2 cloves garlic cloves
- 180 g smoked pork belly
- 250 g pork shoulder
- 250 g beef chuck roast
- 150 g mild Spanish chorizo or Mexican cooking chorizo
- 1.5 l chicken broth
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- to taste fine salt
- to taste freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 piece quiquirimichi sauce
- 1 piece scallions or green onions
- 1 tsp mild ground chili or ají molido
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
Method
- The night before, soak the white hominy and white beans in a large bowl of cold water; they should plump up and feel smoother to the touch.
- Drain the legumes and place them in a large Dutch oven with the broth and bay leaf, then bring to a gentle simmer until the hominy starts to turn tender to the bite.
- Meanwhile, cut the meats into bite-sized pieces, slice the smoked pork belly and chorizo, and sear them in the pot until they develop light color and perfume the fat.
- Add the chopped onion, leek, and minced garlic, then sweat until the vegetables turn translucent and the aroma becomes sweet, savory, and smoky.
- Stir in the cumin, paprika, black pepper, and a light pinch of salt, tossing to coat the meats and toast the spices without scorching them.
- Add the cubed kabocha squash, cover, and simmer over very low heat; the stew is ready for the next stage once the squash begins to break down into the cooking liquid.
- Continue simmering while stirring frequently along the bottom of the pot, until the stew reaches a thick, almost creamy consistency with tender, distinct grains.
- Prepare the quiquirimichi sauce while the stew rests off the heat; it should be vibrant orange-red, fragrant, and gently spicy.
- Ladle the steaming locro into deep bowls, drizzle with quiquirimichi sauce, and finish with sliced scallion greens for a touch of freshness.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 520.8 kcal
- Protein
- 30.35 g
- Carbohydrate
- 45.92 g
- Fat
- 24.79 g
- Fibre
- 7.78 g
- Calcium
- 71.21 mg
- Iron
- 3.86 mg
- Magnesium
- 83.09 mg
