Subanik

Ingredients

Meat

• 500 gchicken pieces, on the bone
• 500 gbeef chuck, in large cubes
• 500 gpork shoulder, in large cubes

Recado

• 6dried guaque chillies
• 4dried pasa chillies
• 2dried cobanero chillies, or to taste
• 500 gtomatoes
• 250 gmiltomate or tomatillos
• 1large onion, halved
• 6garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 tablespoonspumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoonssesame seeds

To season

• salt
• a piece of cinnamon stick
• 3whole cloves
• a small piece of stale tortilla or bread, to thicken

To wrap and steam

• maxan leaves, or banana leaves
• kitchen string
• water, for the steamer

To serve

• warm corn tortillas
• white rice

Directions

1. Toast them on a dry comal or heavy pan over medium heat. Press them flat for a few seconds on each side. They should darken and smell fragrant but never smoke. Put the toasted chillies in a bowl of hot water. Leave them to soak for twenty minutes until soft. Charring the vegetables is done on the same pan.
2. Lay the tomatoes, miltomate, onion and garlic on the hot comal. Turn them until they are blistered and blackened in patches. It takes about fifteen minutes of turning. Peel the garlic once it has cooled enough to handle. Toast the pumpkin and sesame seeds separately in the dry pan.
3. Shake the pan constantly because they burn in seconds. They are ready when they smell nutty and start to pop. Put the drained chillies into a blender with the charred vegetables. Add the toasted seeds, the cinnamon and the cloves. Add the piece of stale tortilla to thicken the sauce. Pour in a little of the chilli soaking water to help it turn.
4. Blend it to a thick smooth paste with no grit in it. Pass it through a sieve if your blender leaves it coarse. Season it well with salt and taste it carefully. It should be rich, smoky and only moderately hot.
5. Line a deep heatproof bowl or pot with overlapping leaves. Let them hang well over the sides of the container. Put the beef and pork in first, since they need longest. Lay the chicken pieces over the top of them.
6. Pour the recado over everything and turn the meat through it. Every piece should be thickly coated in the sauce. Fold the overhanging leaves in over the top. Cover with more leaves if there are gaps left. Tie the whole parcel closed with kitchen string. Steaming it is long and needs watching for water.
7. Set the parcel in a large steamer over simmering water. Cover the pot and steam it for two hours. Check the water level every thirty minutes without fail. A steamer that boils dry will scorch and ruin the dish.
8. Top it up with boiling water rather than cold. The meats should be completely tender at the end. Fold the leaves back to release the steam and the smell. Serve it with warm tortillas and plain white rice. The sauce is thick enough to scoop with a tortilla.

Technique

• Kaqchikel is one of the Maya languages of highland Guatemala, and subanik is documented as a Kaqchikel ceremonial dish.
• Names and preparations vary between towns, and the chilli mix in particular differs from household to household.

Substitutions

• Guajillo replaces guaque and ancho replaces pasa reasonably well.
• Chipotle stands in for cobanero for the smoky heat, though the flavour is not the same.
• Tomatillos replace miltomate directly.

Variations

• Some households use only chicken and pork.
• Others add potatoes or chayote to the parcel.
• The amount of cobanero varies widely, and some families make it genuinely fiery.

History

A Kaqchikel ceremonial dish from Sacatepequez and Chimaltenango, cooked for weddings and cofradia feasts with chicken, beef and pork together.

Frequently asked questions

What is Subanik?

Subanik is a main from Guatemala: three-meat stew in chile recado steamed inside maxan leaves. A Kaqchikel ceremonial dish from Sacatepequez and Chimaltenango, cooked for weddings and cofradia feasts with chicken, beef and pork together.

How long does Subanik take to make?

Subanik takes 1 hour of preparation and 2 hours of cooking. The recipe makes serves 8. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Subanik?

Yes, within limits. Guajillo replaces guaque and ancho replaces pasa reasonably well. Chipotle stands in for cobanero for the smoky heat, though the flavour is not the same. Tomatillos replace miltomate directly.

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

Toast them on a dry comal or heavy pan over medium heat. Press them flat for a few seconds on each side. They should darken and smell fragrant but never smoke. Put the toasted chillies in a bowl of hot water. Leave them to soak for twenty minutes until soft. Charring the vegetables is done on the same pan.