Name: Quebrao (Guapi salted-beef sancocho)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 750 g commercially prepared carne serrana (salt-cured beef), cut into 3 cm pieces; 3 L water, divided: 1 L for blanching and 2 L for the soup; 6 medium green plantains, about 1.2 kg peeled, plus their washed peels for blanching; 500 g cassava, peeled, woody core removed if needed, cut into 5 cm pieces; 500 g pastusa or other floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm pieces; 100 g green onion, about 2 stalks, trimmed and cut into short lengths; 8 g chillangua (culantro/cilantro cimarrón), about 4 leaves, finely chopped; 4 g poleo, about 1 tablespoon ground or finely chopped; 150 g ripe tomato, 1 medium, finely chopped; Fine salt, none at first; adjust only after tasting; 1 g ground black pepper, or to taste; Avocado, sliced, optional; Majajas, optional regional accompaniment

A rustic bowl of clear beef broth with salted beef, green plantain, cassava, potato, tomato and herbs; avocado sits beside it.

Region Guapi, Cauca, Colombian Pacific coast

Category Main-course beef and root-vegetable soup

Yield 8 main-course portions

Prep time 25 minutes

Soaking time Follow the cured-beef package; the published blanch is 10 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Quebrao (Guapi salted-beef sancocho)

Salt-cured beef, green plantain, cassava and potato simmer into a hearty Pacific-coast soup with chillangua and poleo.

Quebrao is the Guapi, Cauca name recorded for a sancocho made with carne serrana and vegetables. Colombia’s Ministry of Culture inventory lists green plantain, cassava, pastusa potato, long onion, poleo and ripe tomato among its defining ingredients. The Gran Libro de la Cocina Colombiana gives a Guapi recipe for eight to ten servings, with hand-broken plantain and a short first boil to draw salt from the preserved beef. This home version keeps that sequence and the regional herbs while stating practical metric quantities clearly.

Carne serrana is preserved, salted beef, so buy a food-grade product from a reputable seller and follow its storage and desalting directions. This recipe does not describe how to cure beef at home. The initial blanch and discarded water follow the published method, but they cannot guarantee a specific reduction in sodium: cured products differ. Taste the finished broth before adding any salt. If your product’s label calls for a longer soak or a different preparation, follow the label instead.

Green plantain gives the broth body as its surface starch softens, while cassava and potato turn tender in the same pot. Chillangua (also called culantro or cilantro cimarrón) and poleo bring the leafy, mint-like aroma described in the regional version. Serve the soup steaming hot, with avocado and majajas if available. The accompaniments are optional and are not included in the nutrition estimate.

Ingredients

Quebrao

750 g commercially prepared carne serrana (salt-cured beef), cut into 3 cm pieces
3 L water, divided: 1 L for blanching and 2 L for the soup
6 medium green plantains, about 1.2 kg peeled, plus their washed peels for blanching
500 g cassava, peeled, woody core removed if needed, cut into 5 cm pieces
500 g pastusa or other floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm pieces
100 g green onion, about 2 stalks, trimmed and cut into short lengths
8 g chillangua (culantro/cilantro cimarrón), about 4 leaves, finely chopped
4 g poleo, about 1 tablespoon ground or finely chopped
150 g ripe tomato, 1 medium, finely chopped
Fine salt, none at first; adjust only after tasting
1 g ground black pepper, or to taste

To serve

Avocado, sliced, optional
Majajas, optional regional accompaniment

Method

Prepare the cured beef and vegetables Keep the beef refrigerated until you are ready to handle it. Check the package for storage and desalting directions; use those directions if they call for more than the brief blanch below. Rinse the green plantains before peeling and reserve the clean peels. Cut the beef, cassava and potatoes; break the peeled plantains into large pieces by hand, as in the published Guapi method. Keep raw beef and its packaging away from ready-to-eat food, then wash your hands and tools.
Blanch the beef to draw off some salt Bring 1 L water to a boil in a pot. Add the beef and reserved plantain peels, then boil for 10 minutes. Drain and discard both the blanching water and peels. This step follows the regional recipe; it does not make every cured product equally low in salt, so do not add salt to the soup yet.
Start the broth Put the blanched beef in a large heavy pot with the remaining 2 L fresh water, green onion and hand-broken plantain. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook uncovered or partly covered for 30–35 minutes, until the plantain begins to soften and the beef is starting to yield when pierced.
Add cassava and potato Stir in the cassava and potatoes. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer for 20–25 minutes. Move the pieces carefully so they cook evenly without breaking apart. If the liquid drops below the solids before they soften, add a little boiling water.
Finish with tomato and herbs Add the tomato, chillangua, poleo and black pepper. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until the cassava and potato are fork-tender and the plantain is soft but still in large pieces. Check a thick beef piece with a clean food thermometer; it should reach at least 63°C. Continue simmering if the meat is not tender enough for your preference.
Taste and adjust the broth Taste the broth before adding salt. Salt-cured beef can leave ample seasoning even after blanching; add salt only if the soup needs it. Add more pepper if desired. The broth should taste savory and herbal, not sharply salty.
Serve steaming hot Ladle the beef, plantain, cassava, potato and broth into 8 warm bowls. Serve at once with avocado slices and majajas if available. Keep any remaining soup hot for serving or refrigerate it promptly after the meal.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

These rounded estimates use generic composition values for cured beef, green plantain, cassava, potato, tomato and herbs, divided into eight portions. Carne serrana can differ substantially in fat and sodium from the USDA corned-beef reference food. The amount of salt removed by blanching varies and is not measured here; the actual sodium can be much higher or lower. Treat this as an estimate, not a laboratory analysis, and use the package nutrition label where available.

Practical guidance

Choose the meat carefully: Buy commercially prepared carne serrana that is sold as food, with clear handling directions. Keep it refrigerated and do not use home-cured or unidentified meat. The salt level and cut vary by producer, so the amount of blanching water discarded cannot predict the final sodium content exactly. Follow the product label: Some cured beef needs soaking or a different rinse before cooking. Use the manufacturer’s directions if they require a longer desalting step. Do not reuse blanching liquid as stock; it carries away salt and is discarded in the published method. Keep the pieces generous: Breaking the plantain by hand creates irregular surfaces that release starch into the broth. Cut cassava and potatoes to similar, sturdy sizes so they soften without disappearing. If chillangua or poleo is unavailable, a little cilantro or mint can provide a practical herbal substitute, but the aroma will differ from the Guapi ingredients. Allergens and dietary notes: The recipe contains beef. Check the cured-beef label for added ingredients and cross-contact notices. It is not vegetarian. Avocado and majajas are optional accompaniments and are excluded from the nutrition estimate.

Final notes

Cool leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the room is hotter than 32°C. Use within 3–4 days and reheat throughout to at least 74°C. Add a splash of water if the broth has thickened in the refrigerator. Remember 1: Use only commercially prepared, food-grade carne serrana and follow its package directions. Remember 2: Discard the blanching water and taste the broth before adding salt.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: 1/8 of the soup; optional avocado and majajas excluded
Calories: 390 kcal
Carbohydrates: 70 g
Protein: 21 g
Fat: 18 g
Fibre: 6 g
Sodium: 900 mg

Quebrao (Guapi salted-beef sancocho)

Ingredients

Quebrao

To serve

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Arroz atollado con jaibas (Colombian crab and coconut rice)

Arroz atollado de almejas (Guapi clam and coconut rice)

Arroz atollado de chambero (Guapi coconut rice with river shrimp)