Chanfainita

Ingredients

Lung

• 1 kgbeef lung, bofe
• water, for boiling
• 1onion, halved
• 2bay leaves
• 1 tablespoonvinegar
• salt

Base

• 2onions, finely chopped
• 6garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 tablespoonsaji panca paste
• 1 tablespoonaji amarillo paste
• 1 teaspoonground cumin
• 1 teaspoondried oregano
• 4 tablespoonsoil

To finish

• 800 gpotatoes, in cubes
• 600 mllung cooking liquid
• a handful of mint, chopped
• salt and black pepper

To serve

• plain white rice
• aji sauce
• boiled mote, hominy, optional

Directions

1. Check what is legal and available where you are. It takes up the sauce completely. Rinse it thoroughly under cold running water. Squeeze it repeatedly as you rinse it. Trim away the windpipe and any large tubes.
2. Cut out any tough membrane you find. Rub it all over with vinegar and salt. Rinse it thoroughly once more. Put the cleaned lung in a large pot. Cover it generously with cold water. Add the halved onion and the bay leaves. Bring it to a boil and skim the foam. Keep skimming until no more rises.
3. Let it cook for about an hour. Lung floats persistently because of the air in it. Set a plate on top to hold it under. Otherwise the top surface never cooks properly.
4. Lift it out and keep the cooking liquid. Let the lung cool enough to handle safely. Cut the boiled lung into small cubes. Aim for pieces about two centimetres across. Trim off any remaining tubes as you go. It is smoky and fruity rather than hot.
5. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan. Add the finely chopped onions. Cook them for a good ten minutes. They should soften and turn golden. Add the crushed garlic and cook for one minute. Add both of the chilli pastes. Fry them for a full five minutes.
6. Add the cumin and the oregano. Cook them for another two minutes. Add the cubed lung to the pan. Turn it over in the aderezo to coat it. Let it fry for about five minutes. Pour in the reserved cooking liquid. Bring it up to a gentle simmer.
7. Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Cut them the same size as the lung. Add them to the simmering pan. Let them cook for about twenty minutes. They should be tender but hold their shape.
8. Add more cooking liquid if it is too dry. Taste it and adjust the salt to suit. Finishing it is done off the heat. Stir in the chopped mint generously. Let it sit covered for five minutes. Serving it is done hot with rice. Spoon it onto plates beside plain white rice. Put a bowl of aji sauce on the table. It keeps three days refrigerated.

Technique

• Lung is sold in Lima’s markets as bofe and is one of the cheapest cuts available, which is why the dish exists.
• Lung is not permitted in human food in the United States, a ban dating from nineteen seventy-one, though other countries allow it freely.
• Aji panca is a dark smoky Peruvian chilli sold as a paste, while aji amarillo is the hotter yellow one.

Substitutions

• Beef heart or tripe can be stewed the same way where lung is unavailable.
• Ordinary paprika with a little smoked paprika approximates aji panca poorly but works.

Variations

• Some households serve it with mote, boiled hominy, alongside the rice.
• A version with more chilli is made for those who want heat.
• Cau cau and mondonguito are the other great Lima offal stews.

History

A cheap working-class dish of Lima’s criollo table, using lung sold in the capital’s markets.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chanfainita?

Chanfainita is a main from Peru: diced beef lung stewed with potato and aji panca, eaten with rice. A cheap working-class dish of Lima’s criollo table, using lung sold in the capital’s markets.

How long does Chanfainita take to make?

Chanfainita takes 40 minutes of preparation and 1 hour 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Chanfainita?

Yes, within limits. Beef heart or tripe can be stewed the same way where lung is unavailable. Ordinary paprika with a little smoked paprika approximates aji panca poorly but works.

What is the most important thing to get right in Chanfainita?

Let it cook for about an hour. Lung floats persistently because of the air in it. Set a plate on top to hold it under. Otherwise the top surface never cooks properly.