Globecooking recipe : Locro (Argentina)

Locro is a fabulous meaty stew with beans and butternut squash that reminds me somewhat of an Argentine version of the French cassoulet. The recipe, from my Argentinian-themed Kitchen Trotter box, was supposedly for a starter, but it's certainly filling enough for a main meal. The original recipe said to grate the butternut and corn on the cob but I went for a chunky texture which was lovely.

It required one ingredient from the box - a jar of chimichurri sauce.

I was expecting this to be blow-your-head-off spicy but it's not hot at all - it actually has a sharp vinegary taste. Checking the label, it is made of finely-chopped parsley, minced garlic, vegetable oil, oregano and white vinegar.

Locro

ingredients :

2 onions

2tbsp lard or butter (or olive oil if you prefer)

150g dried beans (white beans, lima beans, butter beans, etc), soaked overnight (or for 12 hours)

big tin of sweetcorn (or 200g frozen sweetcorn) - white corn is more traditional, if you can get it

1/2 a butternut squash

1 corn on the cob

cooked meat of your choice (see below for precisions)

1/2 a chorizo

1tsp cumin

salt

1 beef stock cube

to serve : 2tbsp chimichurri sauce

Right, let's talk meat ! The original recipe called for 120g pork ribs, 150g pork belly, 150g beef, 150g bacon & 1/2 a chorizo. I didn't want to buy loads of different meats because it seemed a waste as they were only used in small quantities. I also figured that this is a rustic Argentinian dish and people would just throw in whatever meat they had to hand - in fact, it would be a brilliant way of using up the leftover grilled meats after a barbecue. That was my original plan but it's been too wet to fire up the grill, so I went with what was at hand in the fridge/freezer- 2 beefburgers, a pack of bacon lardons, 1/2 a chorizo and some leftover roast chicken.

Put the bacon and onions into a large pot and cook over a medium heat until the bacon releases its fat. Add the lard/butter.

Chop up all the cooked meats and the chorizo into bite sized pieces.

Toss them all in the pot along with the bacon and onions.

Throw in the sweetcorn. Traditionally this should be white corn so I left out the corn on the cob because I thought it wouldn't bring anything new to the dish. If using, chop into strips.

Add the beans and the water they soaked in, plus extra if needed, to cover the ingredients. Bring to the boil and add the stock cube.

Peel the butternut squash and chop it into small chunks.

Add to the pot. Season with salt and cumin.

Leave to simmer for at least an hour, or even two, giving it a stir and checking that it doesn't need extra water from time to time. Check the beans are cooked.

Serve with a dollop of chimichurri sauce on top. It's a beautifully rich, hearty stew that tastes even better reheated the next day.

*** Don't miss my country-by-country globecooking recipe index ! ***

If you want to try some more Argentinian recipes, how about Pasta Frola with Dulce De Batata (Sweet Potato Tart) or Humitas?