Patasca – Andean Hominy Stew with Pork
The ancestral hominy stew of northern Argentina, whose long cooking softens the corn and draws all the collagen out of the meats. A dish with centuries of Andean history behind it — substantial, and made for winter.
Start the soak the night before. The dried hominy needs at least 8 hours in cold water and then 2-3 hours of boiling before it even meets the rest. There is no shortcut here; this is a two-day dish if you plan it badly.
And the paprika goes in at the very end, dissolved in a little cold broth. Added early over direct heat it scorches and turns the whole pot bitter.
Ingredients
- 500 g dried hominy corn, soaked 24 h
- 500 g beef tripe, cleaned
- 500 g beef flank or brisket
- 2 pig's trotters, split in half
- 250 g pork skin (optional)
- 2 white onions, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- Beef stock or water, as needed
- Salt, cumin, chili flakes and sweet paprika, to taste
- Scallions (spring onions), to serve
Method
- 1
The grain: soak the hominy in plenty of cold water for at least 8 hours (overnight). Drain and boil it in plenty of salted water for 2-3 hours, or until the grains begin to flower open.
- 2
The meats: in a separate pot, boil the tripe, the trotters and the pork skin for 1 hour to tenderize and degrease them. Drain and cut into small pieces.
- 3
Bringing it together: in a large heavy-bottomed pot, put the tender corn along with its cooking water. Add the flank cut into cubes and the pre-cooked meats.
- 4
Add the onions, the bell pepper and the garlic, cooked in advance. Season with cumin and chili flakes. Top up with more stock if needed.
- 5
Slow cooking: cook over very low heat for another hour and a half. The aim is for the meat to fall apart and the corn to finish releasing its starch, thickening the broth naturally.
- 6
Adjust the salt and add the sweet paprika at the end, dissolved in a little cold broth, so it does not scorch.
- 7
Serve in earthenware bowls, very hot, with plenty of fresh chopped scallions on top.
Flavors of Salta
The soul of Argentina's northwest in your kitchen. A run through the Andean inheritance of corn, slow fire and deep flavors that take you there with every bite.
