Cape Verde / Main
Cachupa (Cape Verdean Corn Stew)
Cachupa is a popular dish eaten throughout West Africa. It requires a lot of time to prepare.
Ingredients
- corned beef brisket, cut into cubes2 pounds
- salt pork, cut into big chunks1 1/2 pound
- apple cider or white vinegar3 teaspoons
- fresh bay leaves2
- smoked paprika, powdered2 teaspoons
- salt, or to taste1 teaspoon
- black pepper, or to taste1/2 teaspoon
- crushed garlic, crushed3 tablespoons
- feijao Pedro beans (rock beans)1 cup
- olive oil3 tablespoons
- onions, medium-size, neatly chopped2
- beef bouillon cubes2
- tomato paste3 teaspoons
- water, about18 cups
- dry yellow hominy, well-rinsed2 cups
- cranberry beans1 cup
- large white fava beans, large white1 1/4 cup
- madioca or yuca, medium size1
- collard greens or kale, rinsed and chopped4 cups
- chourico or linguica sausage, rinsed and sliced into rounds2 pounds
Quantities are auto-calculated from the original recipe as a guide. Items without numbers (e.g. “to taste”) are not changed.
Method 13 steps
Season the corned beef and salt pork the night before with vinegar, bay leaves, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and 2 tablespoons crushed garlic. Let the meat marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Soak the beans overnight as well.
In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the neatly chopped onions and the remaining tablespoon of garlic. Transfer the bay leaves from the seasoned meat to the saucepan. Sauté the onions until fragrant.
Add the marinated meat to the saucepan and let brown for about 10 minutes (5 minutes for each side). Remove the meat from the saucepan and set aside.
Add the tomato paste and some of the crushed bouillon cubes to the saucepan. Whisk until smooth.
Add the meat back to the saucepan, then cover with water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
Stir in the hominy, bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour. Make sure there is enough water in the saucepan, and check on the hominy about every 20 minutes to give it a stir.
Remove the meat from the saucepan and shred it by lightly dragging a fork against it. This step is optional but can help break up some of the pieces of meat to make more space in the saucepan for the remaining ingredients.
Add the meat back to the saucepan, stir it again and add the cranberry beans, fava beans, yuca, and greens. If the ingredients seem too bulky, add about half of the greens at first and let it cook for about 5 minutes, then add the remaining ones. Let everything cook for about 50 minutes.
Add the chourico, and let cook for about 20 minutes.
Stir and taste the cachupa, then adjust the seasoning as desired. Leave it to simmer for another 10–15 minutes.
Remove from the heat, and let the cachupa rest, covered, for 20 minutes.
Enjoy with any complimentary or favourite side dish of your choice.
Region evidence: recipe text — “Cape Verdean Corn Stew”
