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1
Simmer the Beef Broth
60 Mins • Hands On
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Heat half the oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook half the onion, tomato, pepper and garlic with the cumin for 5 minutes until soft. Add the water, beef bones, beef chunks and the 4 halved plantains, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 55 minutes, skimming the foam, until the beef is tender and the plantains are very soft.
Keep the broth at a gentle simmer, never a hard boil — boiling clouds the broth and toughens the beef.
Done when: The beef is tender, the plantains are soft enough to mash, and the broth tastes rich.
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2
Make the Beef Filling
15 Mins • Hands On
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Lift out about 200 g of the cooked beef and chop it finely. Heat the remaining oil and cook the rest of the onion, tomato, pepper and garlic for 5 minutes, then add the chopped beef, peanut butter, raisins, peas and half the cilantro, and cook for 3 minutes more until everything is combined. Season with salt and pepper and leave to cool.
Let the filling cool before shaping — hot filling softens the dough and the dumplings burst.
Done when: The filling is moist, savoury and a little sweet, and holds together when pressed.
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3
Make the Dough and Shape the Dumplings
20 Mins • Hands On
No heat — assembly
Lift the boiled plantains out of the broth and mash them while hot until smooth. Mix in the grated raw plantain and the beaten eggs with a pinch of salt until you have a firm, sticky dough. With wet hands, take a ball of dough about the size of a small orange, press a well into it, fill with a spoonful of beef filling, seal the dough over the filling and roll it smooth. Repeat to make 12 dumplings.
Wet hands are the trick — dry hands stick and crack the dough.
Done when: 12 smooth, sealed dumplings with no filling showing through the dough.
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4
Strain the Broth and Add the Vegetables
20 Mins • Hands On
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Strain the broth through a fine sieve back into the pot and return the remaining beef chunks. Add the yuca and corn, simmer for 15 minutes, then add the cabbage and simmer for 5 minutes more until the yuca is tender. Taste and adjust the salt.
Straining gives a clear broth and keeps bone fragments out of the bowls.
Done when: The yuca is tender, the corn is cooked and the broth is clear and well seasoned.
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5
Cook the Dumplings in the Broth
12 Mins • Hands On
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F); dumpling centres cooked through to 71°C (160°F)
Lower the dumplings into the simmering broth one at a time, reduce the heat to the gentlest simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not stir the soup at all — stirring breaks the dumplings. Check one dumpling: the centre must be hot all the way through at 71°C (160°F) and the dough set, not raw.
No stirring, no boiling — the dumplings need still, gentle heat to set.
Done when: The dumplings are firm, hold their shape when lifted, and are hot through to the centre.
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6
Serve the Soup
5 Mins • Hands On
Serve hot, above 60°C (140°F)
Ladle the broth with yuca, corn, cabbage and beef chunks into wide bowls, set two dumplings in each bowl, and scatter the remaining cilantro over the top. Serve hot, with lime wedges and aji sauce on the side.
Serve at once — the dumplings go soft if they sit too long in the broth.
Done when: Each bowl has two dumplings, broth, yuca, corn and cabbage, with cilantro on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Ladle the broth with yuca, corn and cabbage into wide bowls, set two dumplings in each, and scatter cilantro over the top. Serve hot, with lime wedges and aji sauce on the side.
Ecuador
30m
