Puchero

Ingredients

• 500g beef stewing cuts
• 250g pork belly
• 2 pieces chorizo de bilbao, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped (or 3 tbsp tomato sauce)
• 2 ripe saba bananas
• 1 sweet potato, cubed
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1/4 head cabbage, cut into wedges
• handful of green beans
• fish sauce
• salt
• 2 Asian eggplants
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced, for the eggplant sauce

Before you cook

• Cut the beef and pork into large chunks.
• Peel and halve the saba bananas.

Steps

1. Place the beef and onion in a large pot and cover with water.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
3. Simmer for 1 hour until the beef is half-tender.
4. Add the pork belly and simmer for 15 more minutes.
5. Stir in the tomatoes and chorizo.
6. Simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Add the saba bananas.
8. Simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Add the sweet potato.
10. Simmer for 10 minutes.
11. Add the chickpeas, cabbage and green beans.
12. Simmer for 5 minutes until the vegetables are just tender.
13. Season with fish sauce and salt to taste.
14. Char the eggplants directly over a flame or under a broiler until the skin blisters and blackens, about 12 minutes, turning occasionally.
15. Peel the charred eggplants and mash the flesh with the vinegar, minced garlic and a pinch of salt.
16. Serve the stew with rice and the eggplant sauce on the side.