Cachupa

Cachupa

Cachupa is Cape Verde's beloved slow-simmered stew of hominy corn and beans, enriched with pork and vegetables. This version is cachupa rica, the richer kind, but you can omit the meat for cachupa pobre.

Prep

30 min

Cook

150 min

Total

180 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz) dried hominy corn, also called samp or posole; soaked overnight
• •200 g (7 oz) dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight; or use 400 g canned, drained
• •300 g (10½ oz) pork shoulder, cut into 3 cm chunks; or substitute beef chuck or chicken thighs
• •150 g (5¼ oz) chorizo, sliced; optional but traditional
• •1 whole onion, large, chopped
• •3 cloves garlic, minced
• •2 whole bay leaves
• •1 tsp sweet paprika
• •1 tsp ground cumin
• •200 g (7 oz) cassava, peeled, cut into 4 cm chunks; if unavailable, use extra sweet potato
• •200 g (7 oz) sweet potato, peeled, cut into 4 cm chunks
• •1 whole green plantain, peeled, cut into 4 cm chunks; or 200 g pumpkin
• •1 tbsp tomato paste
• •1.5 L (6¼ cups) water, or light stock
• •2 tbsp olive oil
• •1 tsp salt, or to taste
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) black pepper

Steps

1. 1 Soak the hominy corn and kidney beans separately in plenty of cold water overnight (at least 8 hours). Drain and rinse.
2. 2 If using dried kidney beans, boil them in fresh water for 10 minutes, then drain. This destroys phytohaemagglutinin, a toxin in raw kidney beans. Skip this step if using canned beans.
3. 3 In a large heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Brown the pork shoulder on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add the chorizo, onion, and garlic; cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
4. 4 Stir in the tomato paste, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
5. 5 Add the soaked hominy, boiled kidney beans, bay leaves, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the hominy is tender.
6. 6 Add the cassava, sweet potato, and plantain. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 30–40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the stew is thick. Add more water if needed to prevent sticking.
7. 7 Taste and adjust salt. Remove bay leaves. Serve hot. Leftovers can be fried the next day as cachupa refogada.
8. 8 Safety: Ensure pork reaches an internal temperature of at least 63°C (145°F) and the stew simmers for the full time. If using chicken, cook to 74°C (165°F).