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1
Heat the Stones and Soak the Charque
30 Mins
Open flame, stones heated to about 500°C (930°F)
Set 2 or 3 dense, dry volcanic stones on a grill or in a hot wood fire and heat them for 30 to 45 minutes until they are glowing hot right through. Meanwhile, soak the charque in cold water for 30 minutes, then rinse it and pull it into shreds with your fingers. Keep the stones heating while you cook — they are the last step, not the first.
Never use river stones, limestone, sandstone or concrete: trapped water inside them can make them explode. If you cannot get proper volcanic rock, skip the stone step entirely and finish the soup on the stove.
Done when: The stones are glowing hot and the charque is soft enough to shred.
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2
Simmer the Beef and Charque
60 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Put the beef chunks and the shredded charque in a large, heavy pot with the water and bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Skim off the grey foam that rises in the first minutes, then cover the pot loosely and cook for 60 minutes until the beef is tender enough to cut with a spoon. Keep the broth at a lazy bubble, never a rolling boil — hard boiling makes the beef tough and clouds the broth.
Taste the broth before adding any salt: the charque has already salted it, and you may need less than you think.
Done when: The beef is spoon-tender and the broth tastes rich and meaty.
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3
Saute the Onion, Garlic and Aji
10 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft and clear, then stir in the crushed garlic, the diced tomato, the red aji paste, the cumin and the paprika and cook for 3 more minutes until the mixture darkens a shade and smells sweet and spicy. Do not let the garlic brown — burnt garlic turns the whole soup bitter.
This sofrito is where the soup gets its colour: let the aji fry in the oil until the oil turns red.
Done when: The onion is soft, the tomato has melted down and the oil is stained red.
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4
Add the Potatoes and the Sofrito
25 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Lift the lid and stir the sofrito into the pot, then add the potato chunks. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender right through but still holding their shape. Stir gently once or twice so the potatoes do not break up.
If a potato breaks, do not worry — a little broken potato only thickens the soup.
Done when: A knife slides into a potato chunk with no resistance.
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5
Thicken with the Corn Flours
15 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Give the corn-flour slurry a last stir — the flour settles fast — and pour it into the pot in a slow stream, stirring all the time so no lumps form. Keep stirring as the soup thickens for 10 to 15 minutes until it turns a deep golden colour and coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the dried oregano, taste, and add salt only if the soup needs it — the charque is salty, so you may need none at all.
If the soup gets too thick, thin it with a splash of hot water; if it is too thin, stir 1 more tablespoon of corn flour into cold water and add it.
Done when: The soup is thick, smooth and golden, and coats a spoon.
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6
Finish with the Hot Stone and Serve
10 Mins
Stone about 500°C (930°F); serve the soup above 74°C (165°F)
Take the pot off the heat. Using long tongs, lower one red-hot stone into the pot, stand back, and let it hiss and bubble for 2 to 3 minutes — the stone toasts the corn flour and fills the soup with a faint smoky flavour. Lift the stone out with the tongs and set it aside on a heatproof plate. Ladle the soup into deep clay bowls, scatter the parsley over the top, and serve at once with the warm mote and the chicharron in a small bowl on the side for spooning in. If you skipped the stones, simply ladle the soup straight from the pot while it is still bubbling.
Warn everyone at the table that the soup is served almost boiling — and that the stone on the plate is far too hot to touch.
Done when: The soup is bubbling hot, thick and golden, with potatoes and shreds of meat in every bowl.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve kallapurka the way Potosí families do: in deep clay bowls, with the mote and chicharron in a small bowl on the side so each person spoons in as much as they like, and a dish of llajwa on the table for anyone who wants more heat.
Bolivia
2h 25m
