Pepitoria santandereana — Santander goat offal and blood stew

Check the ingredients and separate the raw products Keep the offal, coagulated blood and their juices refrigerated at or below 4°C until you cook them. Buy them from an authorized supplier with a working cold counter; use sealed blood labelled as a food product for cooking. Do not use blood collected at home. Pat the precleaned offal dry with disposable towels if needed, but do not rinse it. Discard the towels, wash your hands and keep the raw-food board and knife away from the onions, cooked rice and eggs.

Simmer the offal until tender Put the offal in a lidded saucepan with the 1.5 litres water and 2 g salt. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a quiet simmer and cover. Cook for about 90 minutes, checking that the water continues to simmer gently. Thick pieces should be tender enough to cut cleanly, and a clean thermometer inserted into the centre of several thick pieces should register at least 74°C. Drain and discard the cooking water. Let the pieces cool only until safe to handle, then dice them finely on a clean board. If preparing ahead, divide them into a shallow container and refrigerate promptly at or below 4°C.

Prepare the eggs, rice and herbs Hard-boil the eggs until both whites and yolks are fully firm, then cool, peel and finely chop them. Use freshly cooked rice or rice that was cooled promptly in a shallow container and kept refrigerated at or below 4°C; do not use rice left at room temperature. Pick over the guacas or guascas, wash them under clean running water and dry them well, then chop finely. If neither herb is available, leave it out rather than substituting a different herb without naming the change.

Soften the onion sofrito Warm the pork lard and achiote oil in a heavy 3–4 litre pot over medium heat. Add the scallions and red onion and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring often, until they are soft, glossy and aromatic. Keep the heat moderate so the onion does not take on dark brown edges. Stir in the toasted cumin, ground hot pepper and 5 g salt.

Cook the diced offal in the sofrito Add the cooked offal to the pot and stir until every piece is coated. Lower the heat, cover and cook gently for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice with a clean heatproof spoon. The mixture should release a little liquid and smell savory, not scorched. If the base begins to stick before the offal is hot, stir in a spoonful of hot water. Keep the lid on between checks so the stew does not dry out.

Add the blood and verify the temperature Add the drained coagulated goat blood, breaking it into small pieces as you put it into the pot. Stir continuously at first to distribute it through the hot offal and sofrito. Lower the heat and cook gently for 20 minutes, stirring frequently so dense pieces do not remain cool in the centre. Stir the full pot well, then insert a clean instant-read thermometer in several places, avoiding the side and base of the pot. The complete mixture must reach at least 74°C. If any reading is lower, keep stirring and heating and check again; color and elapsed time alone cannot show that every part is safe.

Fold in the rice and finish Stir in the cooked rice and chopped guacas or guascas. Continue heating for 2–3 minutes, until the grains and herbs are evenly distributed and the dish is steaming throughout. Check for at least 74°C in more than one place once again. Remove the pot from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes. Spoon the pepitoria into warm bowls or onto a platter, scatter the chopped hard-boiled egg over it and serve hot.