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Cachupa Rica

Cachupa Rica is a traditional Cape Verdean recipe for a classic dish of hominy, beans, mixed meats and vegetables in a tomato and chilli base. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Cape Verdean version of: Cachupa Rica.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

240 minutes

Total Time:

260 minutes

Serves:

4

Rating:

Tags : Pork RecipesBeef RecipesChicken RecipesBean RecipesCape-verde Recipes

Cachupa is a dish that you can’t get away from in Cabo Verde (Cape Verde). It has been described as the national dish and each island (and every home) has its own variations. It was originally a home-style or peasant dish now referred to as cachupa pobre (poor man’s cachupa that tended to be flavoured with pork fat and included no meat). The stew itself is based on hominy (maize kernels treated with alkali, which makes them more digestible) with beans, vegetables and chilli. Richer versions (cachupa rica) may contain meat [beef, chicken, goat], sausages, and morcela (the local black pudding). Restaurant versions may also contain fish (mackerel, the favourite fish on the island and even tuna). Often a smoked ingredient is included, the West African favourite of dried and smoked fish, smoked goat or smoked ribs. Here I am including smoked pork spare ribs. You can include beans: kidney beans, lima beans and butter beans are typical. Meat is usually cooked on the bone and served that way. In restaurant versions, though the meat is often stripped from the bone before serving. This is another of the traditional Cape Verdean recipes that I am now editing and publishing after my travels there almost 20 years ago.

Ingredients:

4 skinless chicken thighs
1 Portuguese chourico sausage, skinned and sliced
4 smoked pork spare ribs
500g (1lbs) beef or goat stewing meat, cubed
400g (14 oz) tin of tomatoes
800g (2 x 14oz) tins of beans (kidney beans, butter beans, lima beans or a mix
800g (28oz) cooked hominy (either cooked from dry or tinned)
1 carrot sliced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 red chillies, minced
Olive oil
Red chilli powder, to taste
salt, to taste

Method:

Pour 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil into a heat-proof casserole and sauté the onions and garlic. Add the tomatoes, seasonings, and the meat. Stir well then pour over enough water to cover all the ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

Add the vegetables, as well as your choice of beans and the hominy. Stir to mix and bring back to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook gently at least two hours, or until the meat is tender and the stew reaches the desired consistency. If you like a thicker gravy then uncover the pot and cook for half an hour more.

Remove the chicken and pork ribs. Strip the meat from the bones and chop. Return to the dish (discard the bones) then adjust the salt and chilli to taste. In the meantime, fry the chourico in a pan with a little olive oil.

Bring the stew to the table, scatter over the fried chourico and serve.