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1
Brown the Pork
12 Mins
High heat, pan about 200°C (400°F)
Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over high heat until it shimmers. Brown the pork chunks in two batches, 2-3 minutes a side, until golden all over. Lift out and set aside — the pork does not need to be cooked through yet.
Do not crowd the pot, or the pork steams instead of browning — the brown crust is where the flavour starts.
Done when: The chunks are deep golden on the outside, with dark browned bits stuck to the pot bottom.
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2
Build the Yellow Aji Base
8 Mins
Medium heat, pot about 175°C (350°F)
Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion strips to the same pot and cook for 4 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the aji amarillo paste, cumin, oregano and black pepper and cook for 2 minutes, scraping the browned bits off the bottom, until the paste darkens and smells fragrant.
Frying the aji paste in the oil first takes the raw edge off the chilli and deepens the golden colour.
Done when: The onion is soft, the paste is glossy and dark gold, and the pot smells warm and spicy.
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3
Simmer Until Tender
75 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (203°F)
Return the pork and its juices to the pot and pour in the water. Bring to a gentle simmer, skim any foam, then cover with the lid ajar and cook for about 75 minutes, until the pork is very tender and a piece pulled with a fork falls apart. The pork must reach at least 71°C (160°F) in the thickest piece.
Keep the simmer gentle — a rolling boil toughens the pork and clouds the broth.
Done when: The pork yields easily to a fork and the broth is golden and fragrant.
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4
Add Mote, Chuno and Breadcrumbs
15 Mins
Simmer, about 95°C (203°F)
Stir in the cooked mote and the boiled chuno, then sprinkle in the breadcrumbs and stir well. Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes until the broth thickens slightly and coats a spoon. Taste and add the remaining salt.
Add the breadcrumbs a little at a time — you want the broth lightly thickened, not porridge.
Done when: The broth coats the back of a spoon and the mote and chuno are heated through.
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5
Rest and Serve
5 Mins
Serve hot, about 65°C (149°F)
Take the pot off the heat and rest for 5 minutes so the broth settles. Ladle into deep bowls, making sure each bowl gets pork, mote and chuno, and scatter parsley over the top. Serve at once with crusty bread.
Serve in deep bowls — fricase is eaten with a spoon, and the broth is half the dish.
Done when: Each bowl is steaming, golden, and full of pork, mote and chuno.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve steaming hot in deep bowls with crusty bread for the broth — and a spoonful of llajwa on the side if you like it hotter.
Bolivia
2h 25m
