Colombian Goat Sancocho from Cesar with Plantain, Yuca and Regional Roots
Sancocho de chivo is a substantial goat soup associated with Cesar in Colombia’s Caribbean region. A Colombian Ministry of Culture inventory records the dish under Cesar and describes it through goat meat and regional tubers. A documented Cesar recipe combines bone-in goat with green plantain, small green cooking bananas, several roots, corn, cabbage, sweet pepper, garlic and herbs. Sancocho is built for a slow, generous meal: the broth takes on flavor from the bones and meat while the vegetables soften at different rates.
The ingredient names matter here. The recipe uses both larger green plantains and smaller green bananas known locally as guineos, as well as malanga, ñame, batata, ahuyama and yuca. They are not all interchangeable, and their varieties differ from market to market. Keep the pieces reasonably large so they hold their shape in the pot. If one named root is unavailable, use a similar cooking root only as a practical substitution and expect the flavor and texture to shift.
This home version adapts a published Cesar formula for eight portions and uses accessible bone-in goat shoulder and shank instead of head meat. It keeps the staged method: the plantain goes in first, followed by the roots and vegetables, and cilantro finishes the pot. Some accounts describe outdoor cooking over a wood fire, while this version works on a domestic stovetop. The result should be a savory, herb-scented broth with tender goat and distinct pieces of root vegetables, not a purée.
