Adobo arequipeño

Ingredients

Pork

• 1.5 kgpork shoulder, in large chunks with some fat

Marinade

• 1 litrechicha de jora, fermented maize beer
• or 700 ml light beer with 300 ml water and a splash of vinegar
• 4 tablespoonsaji panca paste
• 1 headof garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoonsground cumin
• 1 tablespoondried oregano
• 2 teaspoonssalt
• black pepper

To cook

• 3red onions, in thick wedges
• 2 tablespoonsoil
• 1rocoto chilli, split, optional
• 1cinnamon stick
• 4cloves

To serve

• pan de tres puntas, or crusty bread
• sliced rocoto
• fresh bread for dipping

Directions

1. Use shoulder with a good proportion of fat. Cut it into generous large chunks. Put the pork into a large non-metallic bowl. Add the aji panca paste and the crushed garlic.
2. Add the cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Rub everything into the meat with your hands. Pour the chicha de jora over it. The pork should be well covered. Cover it and refrigerate it overnight. Twenty-four hours is better still.
3. Turn the meat once during that time. Heat the oil in the heavy pot. Lift the pork out of the marinade. Keep the marinade, which becomes the sauce. Brown the pork chunks on all sides. Take them out and set them aside. Add the onion wedges to the same pot. Fry them for about five minutes. They should soften without collapsing.
4. Return the pork to the pot now. Pour in all of the reserved marinade. Add the cinnamon stick and the cloves. Add the split rocoto if you want heat. Bring the whole pot to a simmer.
5. Cover the pot and lower the heat right down. Let it cook for about two hours. Stir it once every twenty minutes. Top up with water or more chicha if it dries. The pork should be completely tender.
6. Uncover the pot for the last twenty minutes. Let the sauce reduce and concentrate. It should be thin enough to soak into bread. Taste it and adjust the salt again. It should taste sour, savoury and deeply spiced.
7. Cool it and refrigerate it overnight if you can. Serving it is done in deep bowls. Ladle in plenty of the broth with the meat. Serve plenty of crusty bread alongside. Serve sliced rocoto for those who want more heat. It keeps for four days refrigerated.

Technique

• Picanterias are traditional Arequipa eating houses, and several have been recognised as part of Peru’s cultural heritage.
• Adobo is served there on Sunday mornings and is closely tied to that weekly routine.

Substitutions

• A light beer with a splash of vinegar approximates chicha de jora, though the maize character is lost.
• Aji panca paste is sold in jars in Latin American shops and has no close substitute.

Variations

• Some cooks add a little aji mirasol alongside the panca.
• A version with more rocoto is made for those who want it hot.
• Adobo is made with different chillies and liquids elsewhere in Peru.

History

Eaten on Sunday mornings in Arequipa picanterias with bread for dipping; the maize beer both sours and tenderises the pork.

Frequently asked questions

What is Adobo arequipeño?

Adobo arequipeño is a main from Peru: pork shoulder stewed overnight in chicha de jora and aji panca. Eaten on Sunday mornings in Arequipa picanterias with bread for dipping; the maize beer both sours and tenderises the pork.

How long does Adobo arequipeño take to make?

Adobo arequipeño takes 30 minutes plus overnight marinating of preparation and 2 hours 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Adobo arequipeño?

Yes, within limits. A light beer with a splash of vinegar approximates chicha de jora, though the maize character is lost. Aji panca paste is sold in jars in Latin American shops and has no close substitute.

What is the most important thing to get right in Adobo arequipeño?

Return the pork to the pot now. Pour in all of the reserved marinade. Add the cinnamon stick and the cloves. Add the split rocoto if you want heat. Bring the whole pot to a simmer.