Locro

About This Recipe

Locro is a thick, nourishing stew that has been eaten in the Andes for thousands of years, now Argentina's traditional dish for national holidays like 25 de Mayo. Slow-cooked white corn (hominy), white beans, butternut squash, and various pork cuts — including chorizo and belly — come together in a golden, deeply warming pot that feeds a crowd.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 300 gdried white corn (mote) or hominy, soaked overnight
• 200 gdried white beans (poroto blanco), soaked overnight
• 400 gbutternut squash, peeled and diced
• 300 gpork belly, diced
• 200 gchorizo criollo, sliced
• 150 gsmoked bacon, diced
• 1 largeonion, diced
• 3 clovesgarlic, minced
• 1 tbspsweet paprika
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspdried oregano
• 2 tbspsunflower oil
• 1.5 Lwater or pork stock
• 1.5 tspsalt
• 0.5 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Start the beans and corn

   Drain soaked white corn and beans. Place in a large heavy pot with stock or water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour.

2. 2

   Brown the meats

   In a separate pan, heat oil and brown pork belly, bacon, and chorizo in batches. Add onion and garlic, cook until softened.

3. 3

   Combine

   Add the browned meats, onion, and garlic to the bean pot. Add paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

4. 4

   Add squash and simmer

   Add diced butternut squash. Simmer uncovered for another 1.5–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the squash breaks down and thickens the stew. The corn should be very tender.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve hot in deep bowls with crusty bread. Top with a drizzle of quiquirimichi (chilli-infused oil) for extra heat.

Variations

• •

  Add diced potato and sweet potato alongside the squash for a richer stew.

• •

  Use a slow cooker on low for 8 hours for a hands-off version.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 5 days — it thickens considerably when cold. Freeze up to 3 months.