Guest Author - Susan Stewart

Mexican Stew (Puchero mexicano)
(for 8 people)

10 oz. pork loin
10 oz. Steak, such as sirloin tips or rump steak
4 oz. ham
3 smoked pork chops
1 marrow bone
1 bone for broth
7 oz. chorizo
7 oz. chickpeas
4 Idaho potatoes
3 young ears of corn
4 young zucchini
3 carrots
1/2 green cabbage
2 turnips
2 plantains
4 pears
4 medium onions
4 cloves garlic
2 oz. lard
3/4 lb. tomatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaf
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
half an ancho chili
3 tablespoons salt, or to taste
1 sprig coriander
1 sprig parsley
10 black peppercorns

Preparation:
Wash and soak the chick peas overnight.
Wash the vegetables and peel the potatoes, carrots, and turnips, but not the plantains. Cut the fruits and vegetables, except for the cabbage, into quarters. Cut the corn into thick wheels (about 1 inch pieces).
Devein the ancho chili, toast the coriander seeds on a dry griddle, peel the cloves of garlic, then blend all these spices together.
Roast the tomatoes, peel, blend, and strain to remove seeds. Add the olive oil and white vinegar, salt to taste, one finely chopped onion, and the oregano to the tomato puree. Saute lightly until the onion is cooked, and set aside.

Cooking:
Put 2 quarts of water in a very large saucepan, add the pork and steak, bones, pepper, and soaked chickpeas and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and let simmer 2 hours. Remove any scum from the surface. Add the smoked pork chops, ham, chorizo, and all of the vegetables and fruit, except the plantains. Remove the zucchini and reserve once it�s coked, to avoid overcooking.
Blend a piece of chorizo with the spice mixture, add to the pan, and mix well. Bring to a boil again, adding water as necessary, to cover all the ingredients. Add the plantains and continue cooking over medium heat.

Serving
This can be served as a big one-dish meal, but traditionally, the components - though cooked together - are served separately so diners can pick and choose their ingredients. To do this, strain and reserve the broth. It can be re-heated just before beginning the meal. Vegetables are served separately on a platter with the reheated tomato sauce. The meat can be cut into serving portions and fried in a little oil to reheat.