Name: Pachamanca a la huancaína, covered-pot version
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 95 min
Total time: 245 min
Cuisine: Peruvian cuisine
Ingredients: 25 g fresh huacatay leaves, washed; 25 g fresh chincho leaves, washed; 35 g ají panca paste, unseasoned; 15 g garlic, crushed; 60 ml chicha de jora, commercially prepared; for marinade; 25 ml vegetable oil; 5 g salt; 2 g ground cumin; 600 g boneless pork shoulder, 4 cm pieces; 600 g bone-in chicken thighs, refrigerated; 650 g waxy potatoes, scrubbed, 4 cm pieces; 400 g sweet potatoes, 4 cm pieces; 300 g cooked choclo kernels, ready to reheat; 250 g fresh broad beans, shelled; 250 ml water, for steaming

Pachamanca a la huancaína, covered-pot version — complete home recipe

Yield 6 servings

Prep 20 minutes

Cook 95 minutes

Passive 130 minutes

Total 245 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Pachamanca a la huancaína, covered-pot version — complete home recipe

The Huancayo region of Junín is associated with pachamanca, in which meat, native roots and green herbs cook in enclosed heat. Here “a la huancaína” identifies the regional style of the pachamanca, not the cheese-and-ají sauce poured over boiled potatoes in the separate dish papa a la huancaína.

This household pot preparation uses both pork and bone-in chicken thighs, potato, sweet potato, broad beans and choclo. Chincho and huacatay season the cooking liquid, with ají panca providing depth. It keeps the food-family of pachamanca but cannot reproduce the texture, leaf aroma or ceremonial setting of cooking in an earth oven.

Layer the denser roots beneath the meat and cook with a tightly covered, moisture-retaining lid. The chicken must reach 74 °C even if it looks fully coloured; the pork pieces share that conservative check. Add broad beans towards the end, when steam and residual liquid can cook them without smashing them.

Ingredients

Herb seasoning

25 g fresh huacatay leaves, washed
25 g fresh chincho leaves, washed
35 g ají panca paste, unseasoned
15 g garlic, crushed
60 ml chicha de jora, commercially prepared; for marinade
25 ml vegetable oil
5 g salt
2 g ground cumin

Meat, vegetables and steam

600 g boneless pork shoulder, 4 cm pieces
600 g bone-in chicken thighs, refrigerated
650 g waxy potatoes, scrubbed, 4 cm pieces
400 g sweet potatoes, 4 cm pieces
300 g cooked choclo kernels, ready to reheat
250 g fresh broad beans, shelled
250 ml water, for steaming

Method

Blend the seasoning.Blend 25 g huacatay, 25 g chincho, 35 g ají panca paste, 15 g garlic, 60 ml chicha de jora, 25 ml oil, 5 g salt and 2 g cumin. The mixture is loose enough to coat a spoon and flecked with chopped herbs. Allow 8 minutes for this action.
Refrigerate the meats in herbs.Coat 600 g pork shoulder and 600 g chicken thighs with the herb seasoning, cover and refrigerate for 120 minutes at 4 °C or below. Each meat piece is fully coated and remains cold. Separate raw meat from ready-to-eat vegetables.
Create a steam bed.Layer 650 g potatoes and 400 g sweet potatoes in a heavy pot; set the marinated meat on top and add all 250 ml water. Cover with a tightly fitting lid. The vegetables form a level base under the coated meats. Allow 12 minutes for this action.
Steam slowly.Bring the pot to a gentle steam on medium heat for 10 minutes, then reduce to low and cook covered for 70 minutes. Do not repeatedly lift the lid. Meat is tendering, the potatoes are pierceable and steady steam escapes only at the rim. Allow 80 minutes for this action. The chicken is not considered safe solely because juices run clear.
Finish with choclo and beans.Stir in 300 g cooked choclo and 250 g shelled broad beans; cover for 15 minutes more. Check chicken and pork at thickest centres for at least 74 °C, avoiding bone. Broad beans are tender, corn is hot and all meat readings are at least 74 °C. Chicken must reach 74 °C; use the same conservative endpoint for mixed meat portions.
Rest before serving.Turn off heat, rest the pot covered for 10 minutes, then divide meat, tubers, beans and choclo among six warm plates. The vegetables lift out without breaking and juices remain in the pot. Keep food hot until plated.

Practical

Serving, storage and substitutions

The pot method uses moisture rather than preheated stones, so it is a practical kitchen preparation rather than a replica of the earth oven. Check the amount of liquid near the end only if cooking sounds turn from a gentle simmer to dry sizzling; the covered pot should retain a little broth. Promptly refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at 4 °C or below, use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74 °C. Chicha de jora is a fermented maize drink that contributes its distinctive flavour; replacing it with water would change that component.

Control points

Burning smell before meat is tenderThe lid leaked steam or the flame was high. Reduce to the lowest sustainable simmer and check that the listed steaming liquid has not evaporated.
Beans lose their shapeThey were added too early. Keep them for the final covered stage.

Nutrition per 1 of 6 servings (approximate)

Serving size1 of 6 servings
Calories625 kcal
Carbohydrates51 g
Protein42 g
Fat27 g
Fibre9 g
Sodium490 mg

Allergens and food safety

Chicha de jora is fermented and can contain alcohol; do not imply this preparation is alcohol-free. Refrigerate marinating pork and chicken at 4 °C or below. Check chicken thighs reach 74 °C in the thickest part without touching bone; check pork pieces as well. Chill leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 74 °C. Check packaged seasoning and chicha labels for declared allergens.

Closing

In the bowl or on the plate: Herb-marinated pork and chicken with potatoes, choclo and broad beans.
The decisive control: Broad beans are tender, corn is hot and all meat readings are at least 74 °C.