Name: Guajira Friche (Goat and Offal Stew with Blood)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 1.36 kg goat meat from leg, shoulder and ribs, cut into 3 cm pieces; 450 g mixed goat offal such as liver, heart and lung, trimmed and cut into 2 cm pieces; 475 ml food-grade goat blood from an inspected supplier, chilled; 120 ml neutral vegetable oil, divided; 450 g white onion, about 3 medium, finely chopped; 18 g garlic, about 6 cloves, finely chopped; 150 g green bell pepper, finely chopped; Juice of 4 lemons, divided; 12 g fine salt, divided; reduce if the blood is salted; 2 g ground black pepper

Guajira friche with browned goat and offal in dark sauce with onion and green pepper, served with yuca.

Region La Guajira, Colombian Caribbean; associated with Wayuu food traditions

Category Ceremonial goat and offal main dish

Yield 10 portions

Prep time 35 minutes, including a 20-minute refrigerated marinade

Soaking time None

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Guajira Friche (Goat and Offal Stew with Blood)

Slow-simmered goat, offal and a dark, savory sauce from La Guajira.

Friche is a documented main dish from La Guajira. The Ministry of Culture’s inventory describes goat meat and offal—often leg, shoulder and ribs—browned with onion, garlic and bell pepper, then simmered with goat blood. The inventory marks it as a ceremonial preparation and names yuca, bollo limpio or corn arepas as accompaniments.

A Ministry of Culture cookbook gives a measured recipe for ten people, which is the basis here. A separate ICBF Guajira booklet records a meat-only friche or frishe variant without blood or offal; that version is distinct. This recipe follows the blood-and-offal preparation, with metric quantities and modern food-safety controls added for home cooking.

Goat blood is a regulated food product. Buy it only from an inspected, authorized supplier and keep it cold; do not collect it at home. If that ingredient is not available through a safe food supply, do not improvise with uninspected blood. The traditional cookbook notes liver puree as an alternative, but that changes the texture and nutritional values substantially.

Ingredients

Goat, offal and sofrito

1.36 kg goat meat from leg, shoulder and ribs, cut into 3 cm pieces
450 g mixed goat offal such as liver, heart and lung, trimmed and cut into 2 cm pieces
475 ml food-grade goat blood from an inspected supplier, chilled
120 ml neutral vegetable oil, divided
450 g white onion, about 3 medium, finely chopped
18 g garlic, about 6 cloves, finely chopped
150 g green bell pepper, finely chopped
Juice of 4 lemons, divided
12 g fine salt, divided; reduce if the blood is salted
2 g ground black pepper

Method

Chill, separate and marinate Keep the goat, offal and blood refrigerated at 4°C or colder until cooking. Use a separate board and knife for raw meat. Toss the goat pieces with half the lemon juice, some of the salt and the pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Do not rinse raw meat; discard the marinade and wash hands and equipment after handling it.
Cook the offal Put the diced offal in a saucepan, cover with fresh water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until tender and the thickest pieces reach at least 74°C on a clean thermometer. Drain in a clean colander and keep covered. This separate cooking step makes the pieces easier to handle and lets you verify they are thoroughly cooked.
Brown the goat and soften the sofrito Heat half the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Pat the goat pieces dry and brown them in batches so they sear rather than steam. Add the remaining oil as needed. Return all the goat to the pot, add the onion, garlic and green pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften and pick up the browned bits.
Add the blood and simmer Stir in the cooked offal. Carefully pour in the chilled goat blood and stir to coat the meat. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat and cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently so the sauce thickens evenly and does not catch on the bottom. Check several goat and offal pieces and the sauce with a clean thermometer; every part of the stew must reach at least 74°C. Add a little hot water if the sauce becomes too thick before the goat is tender.
Season and serve hot Stir in the remaining lemon juice and salt to taste, accounting for any salt already in the blood. The meat should be tender and the sauce dark and cohesive. Serve hot with boiled yuca, bollo limpio or corn arepas.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

These rounded estimates use generic food-composition data for goat meat, a mixed offal estimate, oil and vegetables. Goat blood, the exact offal mix and how much oil remains in the pot vary, so the nutrition values are approximate.

Practical guidance

Buy regulated blood: Use only food-grade goat blood sold through an inspected or authorized supply chain. Keep it refrigerated at 4°C or colder and use it promptly. If you cannot source it safely, choose another documented friche variant rather than using blood collected outside that system. Handle raw goat safely: Keep raw goat, offal and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods. Do not wash raw meat in the sink. Clean and sanitize the board, knife, thermometer probe and work surface after raw-meat contact. Brown in batches: Crowding cools the pot and releases liquid, so the goat steams instead of browning. Give the pieces space and let each batch develop color before adding the sofrito. Choose the accompaniment: The Ministry cookbook names yuca, bollo limpio and corn arepas. Serve one or more on the side so the rich sauce can be spooned over them.

Final notes

No major allergens are intentionally included; check ingredient labels and prevent cross-contact. Keep goat, offal and blood cold until cooking. Cook the full stew to at least 74°C throughout, checked in several places with a clean thermometer. Do not leave it at room temperature longer than 2 hours. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers, refrigerate, use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74°C throughout. Remember 1: In the documented Guajira version, goat meat, offal and blood are cooked with onion, garlic and green bell pepper. Remember 2: The meat-only friche/frishe in the ICBF booklet is a separate regional variation, not the same formula.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: 1 of 10 portions, including goat, offal and sauce
Calories: 350 kcal
Carbohydrates: 5 g
Protein: 45 g
Fat: 17 g
Fibre: 1 g
Sodium: 700 mg

Guajira Friche (Goat and Offal Stew with Blood)

Ingredients

Goat, offal and sofrito

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

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