Entree: Nicaragua – Northern Culinary Region – Chancho con Yuca (Braised pork cooked with boiled yuca, a cassava root, in a savory Northern Nicaraguan style)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 25 min

Cook 1 hr 15 min

Additional 30 min

Total 2 hrs 10 min

Ingredients

- 2 lb (900 g) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1.5-inch (4 cm) pieces
- 2 lb (900 g) yuca (cassava), peeled and cut into 3-4 inch (7-10 cm) pieces
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil or lard
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup (240 ml) sour orange juice or 3/4 cup (180 ml) orange juice + 1/4 cup (60 ml) lime juice
- 1 cup (240 ml) water or low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 tsp (1 g) ground cumin
- 1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp (8 g) kosher salt, more to taste
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) red achiote oil or 1 tsp (2 g) annatto powder mixed with 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil (optional, for color)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh cilantro or culantro for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Pat the pork pieces dry and season with 1 tsp (5 g) of the salt and 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) pepper. Heat oil or lard in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown pork in batches until well seared, about 4 minutes per side; remove and set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add the sliced onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 5–7 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Return pork to the pot. Add sour orange juice mixture, water or stock, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, remaining salt and pepper, and achiote oil if using. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover partially, and gently simmer until pork is very tender, about 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
4. While pork simmers, place yuca pieces in a large pot, cover with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until yuca is tender and easily pierced with a fork, 20–30 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
5. When pork is tender, remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning as needed. If sauce is thin, increase heat and reduce uncovered for 5–10 minutes to concentrate flavors. Shred or leave pork in chunks per preference.
6. To serve, plate a portion of pork with sauce and a side of boiled yuca. Garnish with chopped cilantro or culantro and serve with lime wedges if desired.