Name: Sancocho de carne (Bolívar beef and root-vegetable stew)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 1.2 kg beef chuck or boneless beef stew meat, cut into large 4 cm cubes; 3.5 L cold water, plus a little boiling water if needed; 20 g garlic, peeled and lightly crushed; 2 g ground cumin; 2 g ground achiote or annatto; 8 g fine salt, then more to taste; 500 g cassava (yuca), peeled and cut into 6 cm pieces; remove the woody core if prominent; 350 g green plantain, peeled and cut into 5 cm pieces; 450 g ñame (white yam), peeled and cut into 5 cm pieces; 400 g waxy potato, peeled and halved if large; 350 g ripe yellow plantain, peeled and cut into 5 cm pieces

A bowl of Colombian Caribbean beef sancocho with cassava, yam, potato, green and ripe plantain in amber achiote broth.

Region San Estanislao de Kostka, Bolívar, Colombian Caribbean

Category Everyday beef soup and one-pot meal

Yield 8 generous portions

Prep time 30 minutes

Soaking time None

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Sancocho de carne (Bolívar beef and root-vegetable stew)

A slow-simmered Caribbean Colombian soup with beef, cassava, yam, potato and two kinds of plantain.

In San Estanislao de Kostka, in Bolívar’s Canal del Dique area, community bearer Evangelina Fontalvo’s everyday sancocho de carne is recorded with beef, cassava, green and ripe plantain, potato, ñame, garlic and achiote. The local Ministry of Culture record is an ingredient description, while its companion oral-recipe booklet preserves the cooking sequence: simmer the beef, skim the foam, season the broth, then add the roots and plantains. This household version makes those cues reproducible while keeping the documented ingredient identity intact.

The soup is built around “bastimento,” the filling roots and plantains that turn a pot of broth and beef into a substantial meal. Cassava and ñame become tender and softly floury; potato gives the broth body, green plantain adds a firmer savory bite, and ripe yellow plantain contributes gentle sweetness. A little achiote colors the broth without making it hot. Unlike nearby San Estanislao recipes, this version does not add pork, chicken, salted head, tripe, corn or pumpkin.

Begin with beef chuck or another collagen-rich stew cut in cool water, bring it slowly to a simmer, and skim the foam for a clearer broth. Add the garlic, cumin and achiote before the vegetables. Roots need different amounts of time, so add the firmer cassava and green plantain first, followed by ñame, potato and ripe plantain. Keep the pot at a gentle simmer; a hard boil can break the plantain and make the broth cloudy. The finished pieces should be tender enough to pierce easily but still hold their shape.

Ingredients

Sancocho de carne

1.2 kg beef chuck or boneless beef stew meat, cut into large 4 cm cubes
3.5 L cold water, plus a little boiling water if needed
20 g garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
2 g ground cumin
2 g ground achiote or annatto
8 g fine salt, then more to taste
500 g cassava (yuca), peeled and cut into 6 cm pieces; remove the woody core if prominent
350 g green plantain, peeled and cut into 5 cm pieces
450 g ñame (white yam), peeled and cut into 5 cm pieces
400 g waxy potato, peeled and halved if large
350 g ripe yellow plantain, peeled and cut into 5 cm pieces

Method

Start the beef broth Put the beef in a large heavy pot and pour in the cold water. Bring it slowly to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Skim off the grey foam that rises during the first 10–15 minutes. Partially cover and simmer until the beef is beginning to soften, about 75 minutes; add a little boiling water if needed to keep the meat mostly submerged.
Season the pot Stir in the garlic, cumin, achiote and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes so the seasonings disperse through the broth. Taste the liquid; it should be savory but not overly salty, since it will reduce slightly as the roots cook.
Add cassava and green plantain Add the cassava and green plantain. Keep the pot at a steady, gentle simmer for 15 minutes. Stir carefully once from the bottom so pieces do not stick, but avoid breaking the plantain.
Cook the ñame and potato Add the ñame and potato. Simmer for 20 minutes, then check the largest pieces with a thin knife. Continue cooking until the cassava and ñame are tender and the beef is easy to cut with a spoon, usually another 10–20 minutes. The beef should be thoroughly cooked throughout; simmering pieces of beef stew meat well beyond 71°C is expected for tenderness.
Finish with ripe plantain and serve Add the ripe plantain and simmer gently for 10–12 minutes, just until tender but not collapsing. Taste the broth and adjust the salt. Ladle into deep bowls, dividing beef and all five vegetables among the portions. Serve hot. If the broth thickens while standing, stir in a little boiling water and bring it back to a simmer before serving.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

These rounded estimates divide the listed ingredients into eight servings and use generic composition values for beef chuck, cassava, yam, potato and plantain. Actual nutrition varies with the beef’s fat content, edible yield and how much broth each bowl contains.

Practical guidance

Choose a stew cut: Chuck, blade or another collagen-rich boneless cut becomes tender during the long simmer. Very lean steak can turn dry before it softens. Keep the beef pieces large so they stay juicy and are easy to portion. Prepare the roots safely: Peel cassava completely and remove any tough central fibre. Buy food-grade cassava from a reliable grocer; do not use ornamental varieties. Peel ñame and plantains with a sturdy knife, keeping the cut pieces separate so the softer ripe plantain can go in last. Control the texture: A gentle simmer keeps the pieces intact. If the broth becomes too thick, add boiling water in small amounts. If it is thinner than you like, mash one or two softened potato or ñame pieces against the side of the pot and stir them back in; this is a practical texture adjustment, not an additional traditional ingredient. Plan for timing: The exact cooking time depends on the beef cut and the age of the roots. Start checking the beef and cassava after the stated times rather than relying on the clock alone. Add the ripe plantain only when the other roots are close to tender. Check labels and cross-contact: The listed ingredients contain no major priority allergen. If using packaged ground achiote or spice blends, read the label for undeclared blends or cross-contact notices.

Final notes

Keep raw beef and its juices separate from ready-to-eat foods; wash hands, knives and boards with hot soapy water after handling. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, use within 3–4 days and reheat until steaming hot throughout, at least 74°C. Do not leave the pot at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when the air is hotter than 32°C. Remember 1: Add the roots in stages so the cassava becomes tender while the ripe plantain keeps its shape. Remember 2: Keep the broth at a gentle simmer and serve the beef with a share of every root and plantain.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: 1 of 8 generous portions
Calories: 690 kcal
Carbohydrates: 76 g
Protein: 31 g
Fat: 29 g
Fibre: 7 g
Sodium: 520 mg

Sancocho de carne (Bolívar beef and root-vegetable stew)

Ingredients

Sancocho de carne

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Sancocho de cabeza de cerdo salada (salted pork-head sancocho)

Sancocho de las tres carnes (Chocó three-meat sancocho)

Vísceras guisadas con arroz pajarito (Colombian stewed offal with plantain rice)