Name: Cartago-Style Valluno Beef Sancocho with Green Plantain and Cassava
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 2 h 10 min
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 3200 ml water; 500 g beef soup bones; 500 g punta de anca (beef sirloin cap), cut into 5 cm pieces; 500 g meaty beef short ribs, cut into serving pieces; 120 g scallions (long onion), tied in a bundle; 14 g fine salt, divided; 3 g ground cumin; 3 large green cooking plantains, about 750 g peeled, torn by hand into 5 cm pieces; 600 g fresh sweet cassava (yuca), peeled, woody core removed if present, cut into 5 cm pieces; 150 g white onion, finely diced; 200 g firm green or just-ripening tomatoes, finely diced; 5 g fresh cimarrón or culantro leaves, chopped; 10 g fresh cilantro leaves, chopped; 1 ripe avocado, sliced, optional; 240 g cooked white rice, optional accompaniment; Ají pique, served separately; check ingredients for allergens

Wide outdoor view of beef sancocho with avocado, rice and ají pique beside the bowl.

Region Cartago, Valle del Cauca, in Colombia’s Cauca Valley

Dish Valluno-style beef sancocho

Yield 8 generous servings

Active preparation 40 minutes

Cooking time About 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Cartago-Style Valluno Beef Sancocho with Green Plantain and Cassava

Sancocho valluno is one of the hearty boiled soups associated with Valle del Cauca. The regional inventory describes a beef version built around cuts such as punta de anca and ribs, together with tubers and aromatics. A Cartago recipe from the regional cookbook pairs beef bone, sirloin cap, short ribs, green plantain, cassava, an onion-and-tomato picadillo, cilantro and cimarrón.

The same cookbook presents Ginebra’s sancocho de gallina separately. That preparation uses hen and has its own ingredients and sequence, so this recipe stays with the Cartago beef profile rather than blending the two. Valluno cooking varies between towns and households; this is a measured home adaptation of one documented version, not the only recipe for the region.

Beef and bones form the broth, while green plantain and cassava make the sancocho substantial. The plantain is traditionally torn by hand instead of cut with a knife. Add it after the beef has softened, then add cassava and the fresh onion-tomato mixture. A final uncovered simmer leaves the broth relatively clear, with a few natural droplets of beef fat. Avocado, rice and ají pique are served separately.

Ingredients

Beef broth

3200 ml water
500 g beef soup bones
500 g punta de anca (beef sirloin cap), cut into 5 cm pieces
500 g meaty beef short ribs, cut into serving pieces
120 g scallions (long onion), tied in a bundle
14 g fine salt, divided
3 g ground cumin

Tubers and green plantain

3 large green cooking plantains, about 750 g peeled, torn by hand into 5 cm pieces
600 g fresh sweet cassava (yuca), peeled, woody core removed if present, cut into 5 cm pieces

Picadillo and serving

150 g white onion, finely diced
200 g firm green or just-ripening tomatoes, finely diced
5 g fresh cimarrón or culantro leaves, chopped
10 g fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 ripe avocado, sliced, optional
240 g cooked white rice, optional accompaniment
Ají pique, served separately; check ingredients for allergens

Method

Start the beef broth. Put the bones, sirloin cap, ribs, water and scallion bundle in the pot. Bring the water to a boil, skim off any grey foam, then reduce the heat to a steady gentle simmer. Partly cover and cook for about 90 minutes, checking from 75 minutes onward. The beef should be fork-tender; larger or tougher pieces may need up to 2 hours. Add hot water if the level drops enough to leave the meat uncovered. Lift out the scallions and discard them.
Tear in the green plantain. Break the peeled plantains into roughly 5 cm pieces by hand and add them to the pot. Raise the heat to a lively simmer and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes. The irregular edges help the plantain release a little starch, while the larger pieces remain intact. Turn pieces gently once so they cook evenly.
Add cassava and picadillo. Add the cassava, diced onion, tomatoes and cimarrón. Season with most of the salt and all the cumin. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. The cassava should be soft through the centre, and the plantain should yield easily when pressed with a fork. If the cassava needs longer, continue in 5-minute increments and check the plantain so it does not break down completely.
Check the broth and seasoning. Taste the broth and add the remaining salt a little at a time. If it is richer or saltier than you prefer, add a small amount of hot water. Keep the pot uncovered and avoid vigorous stirring; a gentle simmer helps the broth stay relatively clear. Remove any loose bone fragments before serving.
Finish and serve. Stir in the chopped cilantro and turn off the heat. Divide beef, rib, cassava and plantain among warm bowls, then ladle over the broth. Serve the cooked white rice, sliced avocado and ají pique separately so each person can choose how to accompany the soup.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Approximate estimate from the measured ingredients; it assumes about 700 g cooked edible beef across the pot and that most of the broth and vegetables are served. Optional rice and avocado are excluded. Beef cut, fat trimming, bone yield, plantain size, salt retained and portion distribution can change the values; this is not a laboratory analysis.

Equipment

Use a heavy pot of at least 7 litres, a sharp knife, a cutting board, a ladle and a food thermometer. Keep raw beef and its utensils separate from washed produce and ready-to-eat foods. Tie the scallions into a removable bundle so you can lift them out before adding the plantain.

Practical guidance

Punta de anca is a Colombian name for beef sirloin cap. If your butcher uses another name, ask for a well-marbled, boneless cut that can simmer without drying out. Choose meaty ribs and soup bones from a food retailer. The bones enrich the broth, while the two beef cuts provide pieces to serve in each bowl. Trim only very thick, hard fat; some fat droplets are part of the soup’s character. Green plantains vary in size and firmness. Tear them over the pot so their juices fall into the broth, but make the pieces reasonably similar in size. The source-style hand-torn shape is irregular by design; check smaller pieces first because they soften faster. Cimarrón, also called culantro in some markets, has a stronger, broader leaf than common cilantro. If unavailable, use a little extra cilantro and expect a milder herbal note. Keep raw beef away from ready-to-eat food, wash hands and utensils after handling it, and use a thermometer when checking intact cuts: beef should reach at least 62.8°C and rest for 3 minutes. In this soup, the long simmer continues until the meat is fork-tender. Use sweet edible cassava intended for cooking, peel it thoroughly, remove any woody core and cook it until soft throughout. Do not use bitter cassava without appropriate processing. The base recipe contains no major allergen; check packaged ají and seasonings for allergens and cross-contact. Cool leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep refrigerated for 3–4 days or freeze. Reheat throughout to 73.9°C, stirring regularly. Rice and avocado are optional accompaniments; their quantities are not included in the nutrition estimate.

Final notes

For a clearer broth: Skim the surface during the first simmer and avoid stirring hard after adding the plantain. For the best texture: Add the cassava after the plantain has simmered and check both vegetables as they soften.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1 of 8 portions, without optional rice or avocado
Energy: 520 kcal
Carbohydrate: 56 g
Protein: 31 g
Fat: 20 g
Fibre: 7 g
Sodium: 720 mg

Cartago-Style Valluno Beef Sancocho with Green Plantain and Cassava

Ingredients

Beef broth

Tubers and green plantain

Picadillo and serving

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Equipment

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Llanos-Style Sancocho with Carne Oreada, Green Plantain and Cassava

Valle del Cauca Oxtail Sancocho with Green Plantain and Cassava

Atlántico Guandú Bean Sancocho with Beef Ribs, Ripe Plantain and Cassava