Photo of Dominican pork and root vegetable stew by WW

Dominican pork and root vegetable stew

9
Points®
Total Time
2 hr 10 min
Prep
25 min
Cook
1 hr 45 min
Serves
8
Difficulty
Easy
This stew is a hearty meal (you get 1 2/3 cups per serving)! Look for the root vegetables in larger super markets or ethnic food stores. Malanga is a tropical root that is also called taro. It is one of the world’s oldest cultivated crops. It must be cooked (or soaked overnight) to neutralize toxins in the raw root. It is an easily digestible starch with a sweet, nutty flavor that pairs well with the other root vegetables in this exotic dish. As for many stews, the flavors here get even better the day after, so consider leftovers a gift.

Ingredients

Olive oil

2 tsp, extra virgin

Uncooked lean pork shoulder

1½ pound(s), cut into 1-inch cubes

Kosher salt

1 Tbsp, divided

Onion

1 small, yellow variety, chopped

Green bell pepper

1 large, cubanelle variety, seeded, chopped

Jarred minced garlic

1 Tbsp

Chicken broth

8 cup(s)

Dried oregano

2 tsp

Uncooked plantain

1 large, green, peeled, sliced 1/4-in-thick (about 1/2 lb)

Uncooked yuca

1 pound(s), peeled, cubed (about 1 large)

Uncooked sweet potato

1 medium, peeled, cubed (about 1/2 lb)

Uncooked malanga

1 large, peeled, cubed (about 3/4 lb)

Raw butternut squash

1 cup(s), or pumpkin, peeled, cubed

Frozen corn

1 cup(s), or fresh corn kernels

Red bell pepper

1 medium, chopped

Cilantro

cup(s), fresh, chopped

Fresh lime juice

cup(s), or more to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Toss pork with salt and add to pot; brown in batches, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes total (removing each batch to a plate after it’s done). Reduce heat to medium and add onion and cubanelle pepper to pot; cook until soft, stirring frequently, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, about 1 minute.
  2. Add broth, oregano, pork and any accumulated juices to pot; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Add plantain, yucca, and sweet potato; continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Add malanga, squash, corn and red pepper; cook until all vegetables are softened and pork is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro and lime juice; season with salt, if desired. Yields about 1 2/3 cups per serving.

Notes

This stew can be made up to 3 days ahead. Just reheat gently and re-season with additional lime juice and cilantro.