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Make this stew from Peruvian restaurant Coya, then try our pisco sour, Peruvian scallops, ceviche and more Peruvian recipes.

Recipe tip: A favourite dish in the Andean region of Ayacucho, Peru, the name puca picante is a combination of the Quechua word for red and Spanish word for spicy. Originally, it was made to nourish communal activities like harvests, or the building of houses and roads. Ají panca is a Peruvian mild chilli paste – buy online from mexgrocer.co.uk.

This Peruvian stew recipe is an extract from The Latin American Cookbook by Virgilio Martínez (£25, Phaidon).

  • 900g skinless pork belly
    fat trimmed, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 1 tsp vegetable oil
  • 1 white onion
    chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic
    minced
  • 8 tbsp ají panca paste
  • 1 medium tomato
    peeled and diced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 70g toasted peanuts
    coarsely chopped
  • 1 cooked beetroot
    peeled and chopped
  • 450g small new potatoes
    halved
  • 475ml beef stock
  • white rice and salad
    to serve

Nutrition: per serving

  • kcal967
  • fat69g
  • saturates19.9g
  • carbs27.8g
  • sugars9.7g
  • fibre7g
  • protein55.1g
  • salt1.9g

Method

  • step 1

    Sear the pork in its own fat, in two batches, in a medium pan over a medium-high heat for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown all over. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.

  • step 2

    In the same pan, heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat and fry the onion and garlic for 7 minutes, then add the ají panca paste with the tomato, stirring continuously. Stir in the cumin and season.

  • step 3

    Put the peanuts, beetroot and 120ml of water in a food processor or blender, and whizz to a purée, then add to the pan with the browned meat, potatoes and stock. Stir well and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the meat tender. Serve with white rice and salad.

This Peruvian stew recipe is an extract from The Latin American Cookbook by Virgilio Martínez (£25, Phaidon). Photographs by Nicholas Gill.

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