Name: Cocido de chiguachía y bollo de supías: Choachí's Dry Cocido and Corn Bollo
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 45 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 200 g cubios (Tropaeolum tuberosum), scrubbed; 150 g ibias (Oxalis tuberosa), scrubbed; 150 g chuguas (Ullucus tuberosus), scrubbed; 200 g cooked shelled balú (Erythrina edulis); 300 g fresh corn kernels for the cocido; 150 g shelled fresh broad beans; 400 g small sabanera potatoes, scrubbed; 150 g coyo or arracacha, peeled and cut into pieces; 200 g guatila (chayote), peeled, seeded if needed, and cut into pieces; 700 g commercially prepared smoked goat meat intended for cooking, cut into portions; 500 g commercially prepared smoked pork ribs intended for cooking, cut into portions; 500 g commercially prepared smoked beef rump or round intended for cooking; 120 ml fresh cow's milk; 2 g dried bay leaves, crumbled; 4 g fresh thyme leaves; 10 g wild cilantro or culantro, chopped; 60 g chonto tomatoes, chopped; 200 g scallion tops, finely chopped; 10 g achiote paste; 1.2 L water (5 cups), plus hot water if needed; 0–4 g salt, only after tasting; 5 food-grade corn husks, soaked until flexible; 400 g fresh corn kernels for the bollo dough; 600 g meaty pork belly, diced; 150 g cuajada or fresh curd cheese, crumbled; 80 g panela syrup (melao)

Wide view of the Cundinamarca cocido feast on a wooden table, with a corn-husk bollo and local sides.

Region Choachí, Cundinamarca, Colombian eastern Andes

Category Dry meat-and-root cocido served with a steamed corn bollo

Active preparation About 75 minutes

Cooking time About 2 hours 30 minutes, depending on the smoked meats and steamer

Total time About 3 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Cocido de chiguachía y bollo de supías: Choachí's Dry Cocido and Corn Bollo

A Cundinamarca highland feast of local roots, three smoked meats and sweet-savory corn parcels

This traditional dish from Choachí pairs a dry cocido of nine local vegetables with goat, pork and beef, then serves it with bollo de supías: tender corn dough mixed with fresh curd, panela syrup and crisp pieces of pork belly. It is a celebratory, shareable meal rather than a brothy stew. The Ministry of Culture's award-winning community recipe describes the cocido as dry and distinct from the soupier Boyacá cocido.

This home version serves five and keeps the customary combination of dried or smoked goat, pork and beef. For a home kitchen, use commercially prepared smoked meats intended for cooking and follow their package directions. Do not hang raw meat in an uncontrolled kitchen or pantry. If you cannot find the smoked cuts, fresh goat, pork ribs and beef with a little smoked paprika make a practical variation. Bay, thyme and achiote are used moderately so their aromas complement the local vegetables.

Ingredients

200 g cubios (Tropaeolum tuberosum), scrubbed
150 g ibias (Oxalis tuberosa), scrubbed
150 g chuguas (Ullucus tuberosus), scrubbed
200 g cooked shelled balú (Erythrina edulis)
300 g fresh corn kernels for the cocido
150 g shelled fresh broad beans
400 g small sabanera potatoes, scrubbed
150 g coyo or arracacha, peeled and cut into pieces
200 g guatila (chayote), peeled, seeded if needed, and cut into pieces
700 g commercially prepared smoked goat meat intended for cooking, cut into portions
500 g commercially prepared smoked pork ribs intended for cooking, cut into portions
500 g commercially prepared smoked beef rump or round intended for cooking
120 ml fresh cow's milk
2 g dried bay leaves, crumbled
4 g fresh thyme leaves
10 g wild cilantro or culantro, chopped
60 g chonto tomatoes, chopped
200 g scallion tops, finely chopped
10 g achiote paste
1.2 L water (5 cups), plus hot water if needed
0–4 g salt, only after tasting
5 food-grade corn husks, soaked until flexible
400 g fresh corn kernels for the bollo dough
600 g meaty pork belly, diced
150 g cuajada or fresh curd cheese, crumbled
80 g panela syrup (melao)

Method

Prepare the smoked meats and pork belly Keep the meats refrigerated and follow each package's cooking directions. Do not wash raw meat. If using fresh meat as a substitute, season with a little smoked paprika and cook thoroughly. Separately render the diced pork belly in a skillet until crisp; ensure the meat reaches at least 71°C. Drain the cracklings and reserve about 15 ml of rendered fat for the hogao.
Cook the smoked meats Cook the goat, pork ribs and beef as directed on their packages until tender. Use a food thermometer: whole cuts must reach at least 63°C and rest for three minutes. If any product has different label instructions, follow the label. Keep the cooked meats hot and separate from raw-meat utensils.
Make the hogao and start the cocido In a heavy lidded pot, warm the reserved pork fat. Add the scallion tops, chonto tomatoes and achiote paste and cook until softened. Add the bay, thyme, wild cilantro and 1.2 L water. Stir in the balú, potatoes, arracacha and chuguas. Cover and simmer for about 12 minutes.
Add the remaining vegetables and meat Add the cubios, ibias, guatila, corn kernels, broad beans, milk and a little salt. Arrange the cooked smoked meats over the vegetables. Cover the pot with clean food-grade bijao or banana leaves, then fit the lid. Simmer gently for about 45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Uncover briefly at the end if needed: the cocido should be moist but not soupy.
Mix the bollo de supías Grind the fresh corn kernels until coarse and moist. Mix with the cuajada and panela syrup, then fold in the crisp pork cracklings. Divide the mixture among the 5 softened corn husks and wrap securely.
Steam the bollos Set the wrapped parcels in a steamer above simmering water. Cover and steam for about 40 minutes, adding hot water if needed so the pot does not boil dry. Let the parcels stand briefly before opening.
Portion and serve Arrange the dry cocido on a serving platter and portion the three meats. Serve each person vegetables and meat with one corn bollo. Keep the cooked food hot until serving.

Practical guidance

Practical

Practical guidance

Cubios, ibias and chuguas are Andean tubers with distinct textures and flavors; balú is a large local bean, coyo is arracacha, and guatila is chayote. Look for them at a Latin American market or ask a local produce seller. They are not interchangeable with ordinary potatoes, so keep any substitutions clearly separate from the traditional ingredient list. Use only commercially prepared smoked meats intended for cooking and follow their labels. The original multi-day stove-hanging method has no controlled temperatures and is not suitable for this home version. If only fresh goat, pork and beef are available, season them with a modest amount of smoked paprika and cook them thoroughly; this is a convenient variation. This dish contains milk in both the cocido and the cuajada. The finished cocido should have tender vegetables, savory meat and little free broth. The bollo is soft and lightly sweet, with crisp pork pieces. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within two hours and reheat all components to 74°C throughout.

Final notes

Note 1: Cocido chiguachía is served dry, not as a brothy Boyacá-style stew; the bollo de supías adds a sweet-savory corn-and-pork element. Note 2: Milk is present in the fresh milk and cuajada. The nutrition estimate has high uncertainty because meat fat, bones and smoked-product salt vary.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: One fifth of the cocido and bollo, about 850–1,000 g depending on trimming and cooking loss
Calories: 1,600 kcal
Carbohydrates: 115 g
Protein: 70 g
Fat: 92 g
Fibre: 13 g
Sodium: 1,800 mg

Cocido de chiguachía y bollo de supías: Choachí's Dry Cocido and Corn Bollo

Ingredients

Ingredients

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

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Tamal de Sácama: Colombian Pork and Corn Parcels

Tamal Huilense: Huila-Style Rice Tamales