Easy Locro
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
45 mins
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
12
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Calories
226 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Paraguayan
Easy Locro
Description
The Easy Locro recipe centers on soaking dried hominy overnight, then simmering it until tender. Beef short ribs and osso buco are browned to develop flavor before combining with chopped onions, garlic, tomatoes, poblano peppers, carrots, and red pepper flakes. The stew cooks slowly with squash, sweet potatoes, corn kernels, and halved corn cobs in water covering the ingredients. This low simmering approach softens meats and vegetables and opens the hominy kernels for a thick, textured consistency.
The flavor balance incorporates savory beef broth enriched by vegetable sweetness and mild heat from peppers and red pepper flakes, with fresh cilantro and green onions added at serving for brightness. The stew develops depth through the combination of ingredients and lengthy cooking time, yielding a filling stew that is both hearty and mildly spicy.
Serving with crusty bread or cornbread complements the dish by soaking up the flavorful broth. The recipe suggests avoiding overcooking vegetables during initial preparation to maintain some bite, as they continue softening while the stew rests. The dish can be made in advance, stored refrigerated for a few days, and reheated gently while adjusting seasoning and liquid level to maintain texture and flavor.
Ingredients
- 500 g beef short ribs bone-in
- 500 g Osso Bucco
- 2 onion finely chopped, large
- 7 garlic finely chopped, large cloves
- 6 carrot peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds
- 250 g acorn squash , peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 sweet potato peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks, or baking potato
- 5 tomato chopped, large
- 2 poblano pepper chopped, or bell pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Knorr beef bouillon to taste
- kosher salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 5 cups water as necessary for desired consistency, hot
- 2 corn halved, on the cob
- 200 g corn kernels frozen
- 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil , as needed
- 16 hominy dried white corn
- 1 cilantro chopped, bunch
- 1 green onion chopped, bunch
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the dried hominy "Locro" with 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice; let it be soaked overnight. Drain soaked hominy and put in a large soup pot. Cover with water and bring to boil. Let simmer briskly for 1 hour. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Sear the ribs and osso buco in batches over medium-high heat, occasionally stirring, for 10 minutes until browned all over. Add the tomatoes, onion, poblano pepper, garlic, carrots, red pepper flakes, and beef bouillon, and cook over medium heat, occasionally stirring, for 10 minutes, until the vegetables start to brown.
- Stir in the hominy ''Locro", squash, corn, ear corn, sweet potatoes, and hot water (add enough water to cover the beef and vegetables). Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer just below boiling point, constantly stirring for about 1 hour more, until meat is tender and hominy grains have softened and burst.
- Taste and adjust season, if necessary; Cover, and continue simmering for 30 more minutes or until desired consistency. Turn the heat off and stir in cilantro and green onion. Serve the hot Locro with lime wedges and cooked yuca.
Notes
- Soak dried hominy overnight with lime juice before cooking to soften and prepare kernels.
- Brown meats first to develop flavor before adding vegetables and liquids for simmering.
- Slow simmer stew until meat is tender and hominy kernels have burst, about 1 hour after combining.
- Fresh cilantro and green onions brighten the stew when added just before serving.
- Store cooked Locro in airtight container up to 3-4 days refrigerated; reheat gently on stovetop or microwave, adding water or broth as needed.
- Make Locro 2-3 days ahead to allow flavors to meld; avoid overcooking vegetables initially.
- Serve with crusty bread or cornbread to complement the thick, hearty broth.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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