Recipe

Chícharos

Name: Chícharos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 500 g chícharos; 7 cups water; 2 chorizos cut into medium pieces; 100 g tocineta cut into cubes; 1 ham bone or a pork hock; 1 onion; 5 cloves garlic; Ají, for the sofrito; 3 tablespoons tomato sauce; 1 bay leaf; 2 potatoes; 1 piece of pumpkin; 3 tablespoons oil (preferably extra virgin olive oil); 1 teaspoon paprika; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; Salt and pepper to taste

Cuban stew of chícharos with chorizo, tocineta, pork hock, potato and pumpkin, made in a pressure cooker: thick, flavorful and very home-style.

CiberCubaFebruary 12, 2019

CiberCuba

Preparation15 min
Cooking45 min
Total time1 h
Servings4 servings
DifficultyEasy

This is a dish very linked to the life of Cubans. If made well, it can foster pleasant family moments. Other recipes widely consumed on the Island are derived from it, such as chícharos soup and San Germán purée. Enjoy!

Method

Check what type of chícharos you are going to use. If they have skin, soak them at least 2 hours in advance; if they are peeled, it is not necessary, because they soften very quickly.
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Put the chícharos in the pressure cooker with the 7 cups of water and let them come to a boil.
Remove all the foam that forms on the surface with a skimmer.
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Add the bay leaf, the pork hock (or the ham bone), the tocineta and the chorizo.
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Cover the pot and pressure cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
While the chícharos are softening, peel and cut the pumpkin and potatoes into cubes. Try to make them a similar size so they soften at the same time.
In a frying pan, prepare a sofrito with the oil, crushed garlic, cumin, paprika, ají and chopped onion.
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When the onion becomes translucent, add the tomato sauce, mix well and remove from heat.
Open the pot and check that the chícharos are soft and have enough broth. Incorporate the sofrito and the cut root vegetables.
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Depending on the consistency of the beans, decide whether to pressure cook for another 10 or 15 minutes or leave it uncovered to boil until the root vegetables are cooked and everything takes on the flavor of the sofrito.
If the chícharos are already soft, stir the bottom frequently so they do not stick. It should result in a soft bean and a thickened stew. Enjoy!
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Tips and variations

Chícharos, peas or dried peas, as they are known in other regions, belong to the legume family. They are rich in protein, fiber and vitamin B. Their history is very associated with periods of famine in different nations, perhaps due to their nutritional properties, because they can be cultivated for almost the entire year or because they are among the foods that keep best in a dry state.

In Cuba we cook them in a pressure cooker and they usually require quite a long cooking time. However, outside the Island very soft varieties are found: be careful not to overcook them with high heat, because they fall apart.

Although chícharos evoke memories of difficult times, they remain for many Cubans one of their favorite stews, especially if you prepare them with all the meats.