Ajiaco

Name: Ajiaco (Traditional Meat and Vegetable Stew)
Yield: Serves 12
Cuisine: Cuba
Ingredients: Salt to taste; 1¼ pound (1 small) yellow malanga (yellow-fleshed taro root); 1 pound (2 medium) boniatos (white sweet potatoes); 1½ pound (1 medium) white malanga (white-fleshed taro root); 2 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste; 1½ tablespoons (5 to 6 cloves) minced garlic; 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes; 1½ cups peeled, cubed calabaza or butternut squash; 3 to 4 ears fresh corn, husked and cut into 1-inch rounds; 1 green plantain (skin should be green to yellow); 1½ pound (½ small) ñame (African yam); ½ pound (1 small) yuca; 4 quarts Caldo de Res (Beef Broth) or water; ½ pound tasajo (salt dried beef); 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped; 2 cups (1 large) chopped onion; ¼ cup olive oil; 1 pound beef short ribs; 1 pound pork shoulder; 1 pound beef skirt steak or flank steak; 3 bay leaves; Salsa Picante de Don Justo (Don Justo’s Hot Sauce) or other hot pepper sauce to taste; 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 1 ripe plantain (skin should be black); Fresh lime wedges

Traditional Meat and Vegetable Stew

Preparation info

Serves
12

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Eating Cuban

By Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs

Published 2006

About

Ajiaco is a dish with deep roots in Cuban history. Its origins can be traced back to the Ciboney and Taino people who inhabited the island before the arrival of the Spanish in the late fifteenth century. These Native Americans were fishermen, farmers, and hunters. Among the crops that they grew in mounded beds called conucos were yuca (cassava), maíz (corn), boniato (white sweet potato), calabaza (West Indian pumpkin), and ajies (hot chiles).

The f

Ingredients

Americas
Cuba
Havana
Caribbean
Soup
Gluten-free

Ingredients

Method