Locro

Paulina Cocina’s locro argentino is a stew of white beans and split white maize with chorizos, pork skin, pork breast, panceta and falda. A portion of grated squash thickens the stew near the end, while a separate onion-and-pepper sauce finishes each serving.

The meats are cut into small pieces, the vegetables into fine slices, and the squash divided between cubes and a grated portion. Beans and maize soak from the preceding night. The chorizo and pork skin boil in one pot, and the colorado chorizo in another.

Panceta releases its fat in the main pot before scallion, leek, salt and olive oil are added. The chorizos, pork skin, drained beans and maize join it with fresh cooking water. The selected ordinary-pot route cooks covered for an hour and a half, with occasional stirring and additional water if needed.

Squash cubes, pork breast, falda, seasonings and more water are added for another hour and a half in the ordinary pot. For the separate sauce, finely chopped red pepper, scallion and onion cook gently in olive oil with ground ají, paprika and oregano.

The reserved grated squash goes into the locro for ten more minutes. The finished stew is served with its sauce on top and chopped green scallion as the final garnish.