Name: Cuchuco de trigo con espinazo
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 2 h 25 min
Total time: 4 h 10 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 250 g wheat cuchuco (coarsely cracked wheat; not fine flour); About 1 L cold water for rinsing and soaking; 1.2 kg meaty pork backbone or neck-spine sections, cut by the butcher into 8 pieces; 3.5 L water, plus hot water as needed; 180 g scallions, divided; 18 g garlic cloves, minced; 35 g cilantro stems and leaves, divided; 8 g fine salt to start, then more to taste; 2 g ground cumin; 1 g ground black pepper; 450 g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5 cm cubes; 350 g small yellow potatoes (papa criolla), rinsed and left whole if small; 150 g shelled fresh green fava beans; 150 g fresh green peas; 150 g green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 cm pieces; 150 g carrot, peeled and cut into 1 cm dice; 160 g green cabbage leaves, ribs removed and cut into 3 cm pieces; 15 ml neutral oil; Up to 500 ml hot water or unsalted stock, if needed; Extra chopped scallion and cilantro, for serving; Cooked white rice, avocado and ají, optional

Region Boyacá and the Cundiboyacense highlands, Colombia

Category Wheat, pork and vegetable soup

Rest time 1 hour to soak the wheat

Prep time 45 minutes

Cook time 2 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Cuchuco de trigo con espinazo

Cuchuco de trigo con espinazo: Boyacá wheat and pork spine soup

Cuchuco de trigo con espinazo is a substantial soup associated with Boyacá and the Cundiboyacense highlands. Its name describes the core of the bowl: cuchuco, a coarse wheat preparation that thickens the broth, and espinazo, meaty pork backbone simmered until tender. Potatoes, peas, fava beans, green beans, carrot and cabbage make it a complete meal.

Cuchuco can be made from wheat or maize, but this version is specifically the wheat soup with pork spine documented in Boyacá. Published recipes vary in grain texture, vegetables, liquid and thickness. Some cook the pork and grain together; others add vegetables in stages. This home method starts the pork first, then gives the wheat and each vegetable the time it needs. It is one practical regional-style version, not a claim that there is only one formula.

The key ingredient is coarse wheat cuchuco, not fine flour or couscous. Rinse and soak it first, then simmer it slowly and stir the pot often as its starch thickens the soup. Ask a butcher to cut the pork spine into manageable pieces; the bones add flavor, while the meat should become easy to pull apart. Serve the soup hot with the pork in the bowl or on a separate plate, as well as rice, avocado or ají if you like.

Ingredients

Wheat and pork broth

250 g wheat cuchuco (coarsely cracked wheat; not fine flour)
About 1 L cold water for rinsing and soaking
1.2 kg meaty pork backbone or neck-spine sections, cut by the butcher into 8 pieces
3.5 L water, plus hot water as needed
180 g scallions, divided
18 g garlic cloves, minced
35 g cilantro stems and leaves, divided
8 g fine salt to start, then more to taste
2 g ground cumin
1 g ground black pepper

Vegetables

450 g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5 cm cubes
350 g small yellow potatoes (papa criolla), rinsed and left whole if small
150 g shelled fresh green fava beans
150 g fresh green peas
150 g green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 cm pieces
150 g carrot, peeled and cut into 1 cm dice
160 g green cabbage leaves, ribs removed and cut into 3 cm pieces

To finish

15 ml neutral oil
Up to 500 ml hot water or unsalted stock, if needed
Extra chopped scallion and cilantro, for serving
Cooked white rice, avocado and ají, optional

Method

Rinse and soak the wheat Put the cuchuco in a bowl, cover it with cold water and stir it with your fingers. Pour off the water and repeat until it looks mostly clear, usually 3 or 4 rinses. Cover the wheat with fresh water and soak for 1 hour. Drain well. Keep raw-pork preparation separate from the bowl and sieve used for the grain.
Start the pork broth Cut the scallions in half. Tie or bundle half with the cilantro stems; finely slice the rest for the finish. Place the pork spine, 3.5 L water, scallion bundle, garlic, 8 g salt and half the cilantro stems in the pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming off foam. Lower the heat to a steady simmer, partially cover and cook for about 60 minutes. Turn the pieces once or twice. The meat should be starting to soften; use a thermometer in the thickest edible portion without touching bone to confirm at least 63°C, then continue simmering until fork-tender.
Simmer the wheat Lift out the scallion bundle and discard it. Add the drained cuchuco to the pot. Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer and cook for 30–40 minutes, stirring across the bottom every few minutes. The grain should swell and become tender but still have a little texture. Skim excess fat if you prefer a lighter broth, leaving enough for flavor.
Add the first vegetables Stir in the waxy potatoes, fava beans, peas, green beans and carrot. Add the cumin and black pepper. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring gently once or twice, until the vegetables are beginning to soften. Keep the heat low enough to avoid breaking the potatoes apart.
Finish with criolla potatoes and cabbage Add the papa criolla and cabbage. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the cracked wheat is fully tender, the larger potatoes yield easily to a knife and the cabbage is soft but still visible. If the soup is thicker than you want, add hot water in 100 ml splashes and stir well. If the pork became tender earlier, lift it onto a clean plate while the vegetables finish, then return it to the pot.
Season and serve Remove any loose bones that make serving difficult, taking care to keep the meat intact; alternatively, pull the tender meat from larger bones and return it to the soup. Stir in the sliced scallion, remaining cilantro leaves and neutral oil. Taste and adjust the salt. The soup should be steaming hot throughout and thick but still ladleable. Serve in warm bowls, with rice, avocado or ají at the table if desired.
Ladle and serve Ladle the soup into warm bowls, making sure each serving includes pork and vegetables. Serve at once with rice, avocado or ají if desired.

Practical guidance

Practical

What cuchuco contributes

Wheat cuchuco is cracked or coarsely milled wheat. Its pieces remain visible as they soften, while their starch gives the broth a hearty, lightly creamy body. The finished soup should be thick enough to coat a spoon but still flow easily from a ladle. It should not become a smooth purée or a stiff porridge.

Build flavor before thickening

The pork backbone simmers with scallion, garlic and cilantro stems before the vegetables go in. Skim the surface early for a cleaner broth, then keep the pot at a gentle simmer. Add the waxy potatoes and firm vegetables before the small criolla potatoes and cabbage. Frequent stirring matters most after the grain goes in; scrape across the bottom so the wheat does not catch as the liquid reduces.

Equipment

Large heavy soup pot with a lid, at least 6 L capacity Large bowl for soaking and rinsing the wheat Fine sieve or colander Ladle and sturdy wooden spoon Knife, cutting board and separate board for raw pork Food thermometer

Practical guidance

Find the right grain Wheat cuchuco is a coarse grain product, not a fine wheat flour. Look for “cuchuco de trigo” in Colombian or Latin American shops. Coarsely cracked wheat is the closest practical substitute, though the pieces may need extra simmering. Bulgur is usually parboiled and cooks more quickly, so it can soften too much in this long-simmered soup. If it is the only option, add it later and follow the package cooking time. Whole wheat berries need substantially longer than cuchuco and are not a direct swap at the same timing. Manage thickness as it cooks Different cuchuco grinds absorb different amounts of water. Start with the listed 3.5 L, then check the soup after the grain has simmered for 20 minutes. Stir down to the bottom so settled wheat does not scorch. Add hot water if the soup begins to stand like porridge; adding cold water would interrupt the simmer. The soup thickens further as it rests and again after chilling, so keep it slightly looser than the final texture you want. Make the pork easy to serve Ask the butcher to saw the backbone into soup-sized pieces, ideally with meat attached to each one. Avoid cutting it yourself with a kitchen knife, since bone can splinter. Simmering time varies with the thickness and cut of the spine. Fork tenderness is the practical cue for this braised soup; check temperature in the thickest meat without touching bone. Remove small loose bones before serving, especially if children or older adults will eat it. Plan the vegetables The order protects the texture: firm waxy potatoes and legumes go in first, then the smaller criolla potatoes and cabbage. If using frozen peas or fava beans, add them with the second group so they do not become mushy. Small papa criolla can stay whole; halve any larger ones so they cook evenly. Cabbage softens quickly, so avoid adding it at the start. Allergens, storage and reheating This recipe contains wheat and gluten. Check the label on packaged cuchuco and stock for cross-contact or added ingredients. Keep raw pork and its juices away from vegetables and ready-to-eat foods, wash hands and surfaces after handling it, and do not rinse raw pork. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers and keep them at or below 4°C. Use within 3–4 days. Reheat on the stove, stirring often, until the soup reaches 74°C throughout; loosen it with hot water as the wheat thickens during storage.

Final notes

Make ahead: Rinse and soak the wheat up to 1 day ahead; drain, cover and refrigerate it. The finished soup can be reheated gently with a little hot water. Serving variation: Serve the pork in the soup or on a separate plate with rice, avocado and ají; those accompaniments are not included in the nutrition estimate.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1 generous bowl, about one-eighth of the pot
Calories: 410 kcal
Carbohydrates: 50 g
Protein: 26 g
Fat: 13 g
Fibre: 9 g
Sodium: 740 mg

Cuchuco de trigo con espinazo

Ingredients

Wheat and pork broth

Vegetables

To finish

Method

Practical

What cuchuco contributes

Build flavor before thickening

Equipment

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

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