Sancocho de Cola Valle (Oxtail Stew)

Recipe category
Country
Source
Gran Libro de la Cocina Colombiana
Cooking time
150 minutes
Number of servings
8
Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients
16 cup(s) water
1500 gr (1 1/2 kg) oxtail bones, meaty
4 piece(s) scallion stalks, whole and tied
4 piece(s) green plantains
500 gr yuca (cassava), peeled and cut
250 gr zapallo (squash), cut with its skin
2 piece(s) tender corn cobs, cut
2 clove(s) garlic, crushed
5 piece(s) wild cilantro
2 tbsp regular cilantro, finely chopped
pinch salt, pepper and cumin to taste
Directions
  1. In a sufficiently large pot, cook the oxtail and scallion in water on high heat for approximately 1½ hours (with pot covered), until meat is tender.
  2. Add the plantains, which should be peeled and split at the moment of adding to the broth, and let boil about 25 minutes.
  3. Add yuca, garlic, salt, cumin and pepper; after 10 minutes the zapallo, corn pieces and wild cilantro; and let conserve on low heat for 15 minutes.
  4. Serve the broth with the cocido and oxtail with yuca, zapallo and corn separately, sprinkled with Castilian cilantro.
  5. Accompany with ají pique, lemon juice (or sour orange), avocado or ripe banana.
  6. Also served with dry white rice, which can be incorporated into the broth.
  7. Should try not to stir the sancocho with metal utensils, as they tend to darken it. (Optional: degrease the broth and this fat is put to conserve with cooked yuca and served separately).