Cachupa is a one-pot dish comprising meat and vegetables and condiments of spices. The addition of corn and beans adds flavor and nutrients that are essential for overall well-being.
The process of preparing and the choice of ingredients vary from family to family. This meal is an invitation to dine with loved ones and share memories.
You can adjust the ingredients as you like.
Table of Contents
Background and Origin
Cachupa can be traced back to slavery when people combined available ingredients like pork, corn, beans and vegetables to make a delicious meal. It’s said that the dish was influenced by Portuguese culture during European immigration.
Today, the dish is popular around the globe.
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How to Prepare Cachupa
Key Ingredients
- 1 Cup each dried white and yellow corn kernels
- ½ Cup Dried Kidney Beans
- ½ Cup each Dried Baby/large Lima Beans
- 1 package Salted pork
- 1 package of Chourico
- 1 package of smoked pork neckbones
- Boneless beef ribs
Choice Vegetables
- 1 Bag collard greens, shredded
- 2 Yuca (cassava), (optional)
- Butternut Squash, chopped (optional)
- 1 Carrot, Diced (optional)
- 1 Sweet potato, diced (optional)
- 1 Large Onion, Sliced
- 1 Large tomato, chopped
Spice and Seasoning
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp Black Pepper
- ½ tbsp Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
- 1 Chicken Bouillon Cube or Powdered
- 1 tbsp Adobo or any other All-Purpose Seasoning
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
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Instructions on How to Prepare Cachupa
Preping
- In a large bowl, pour one cup each of white and yellow dried corn kernels. Wash thoroughly. Add one tablespoon minced garlic, bay leaves, salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Fill the corn bowl with water until the corn is drenched and covered. Cover with an aluminium foil and soak overnight.
- Wash the kidney beans, baby and large lima beans. Pour them into a big bowl. Add one tablespoon of minced garlic, salt, and olive oil and cover the beans with clean water. Cover the bowl with an aluminium foil and soak overnight.
- Take the pack of salted pork, chourico, smoked pork neckbones, and the boneless beef ribs. Season only the boneless beef ribs with olive oil, minced garlic, adobo salt and black pepper. You can optionally add red pepper flakes. Add one bay leaf and a chicken bouillon cube. Mix to evenly and refrigerate. Also, chop the salted port, chourico and smoked pork and refrigerate overnight.
Cooking
- The next day, pour the content of the corn mixture into a cooking pot or pressure cooker. Add the smocked pork neckbones and more water to cover the contents in the pot. Pressure cook for 30 minutes. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, boil the corn and pork neckbones for an hour or more on medium heat. The corn is ready if you’re able to mash a kernel. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Pour the kidney beans and lima beans into the pressure cooker and cook for 15 minutes. Mask one bean to ensure it’s cooked. Ensure that the meat is not overcooked. Drain them and set aside.
- Boil some water in a separate pot and add a tablespoon of olive oil and salt. Add the sweet potatoes, squash and yuka and boil for 15 minutes. Scoop them out into a bowl and boil the collard greens with the same water. Strain and set aside.
Putting everything together
- Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large pot on medium heat. Add a tablespoon of minced garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the sliced onion and saute for 5 minutes, covering the pot to create steam.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir and saute for 3 minutes. Hop in the salted pork, the marinated boneless beef ribs and chourico. Add hot water and cook for an hour to two hours until the meat is tender.
- Pour in more hot water and add the cooked corn and pork neckbones. Also, add the cooked beans to the pot. Let it simmer for 40 minutes, stirring often to prevent the content of the soup from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Remove the boneless beef ribs, shred and put it back into the pot. Add the collard greens and carrot. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. Drop in the squash, yuka and potato. Stir the cachupa and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tips for Preparing Cabo Verdean Cachupa
- You can choose to use only collard greens if you prefer chachupa with fewer veggies.
- Preserve the cachupa by freezing and thawing it out in the fridge the night before. Then, warm it and enjoy.
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Conclusion
The process of cooking cachupa is long, but the result is worth it. Always ensure to cook enough at family gatherings or anytime. You can always customise the ingredients and choice of meat.
Happy cooking!
Hey, Sedi here, a content writer.
Subjects that interest her greatly are how people, lifestyle, relationships, God, technology, and communication interact, empowering and spreading positive messages. She’s an avid reader and a student of personal weekly workouts.
She holds a master’s degree in media and digital communication management.
When she’s not writing or promoting brands digitally, Sedi is busy advocating for plastic-free earth with her local NGO.
