Ingredients

  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 5 chicken drumsticks, or more to taste
  • 1 pound bone-in beef chuck
  • 1 pound bone-in pork loin roast
  • 2 large lemon, juiced
  • 2 large onion, quartered, divided
  • 10 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 1/4 gallons water, or more as needed
  • 1 (13.75 ounce) can chicken broth
  • 1 (10.5 ounce) can beef consomme
  • 4 cubes beef bouillon cubes, divided
  • 1 1/2 pounds Spanish pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
  • 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
  • 1 pound eddeos, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
  • 1/2 pound yuca (cassava) roots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
  • 1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
  • 2 green plantains, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
  • 2 ears corn on the cob, cut into quarters
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 large carrots, chopped, or more to taste
  • 1 large green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 1 dash adobo seasoning (optional)

Method

  • Mash garlic, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt together in a bowl.
  • Douse chicken, beef, and pork with lemon juice in a large bowl. Drain half the liquid. Mix the mashed garlic, half of the onions, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, and vinegar into the meat mixture.
  • Heat the remaining 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat mixture in batches and cook until browned on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Transfer the browned meats into a large pot. Add half of the water, chicken broth, beef consomme, 2 bouillon cubes, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until meats are more than halfway cooked through, about 40 minutes.
  • Combine pumpkin, sweet potatoes, eddeos, yuca, potatoes, plantains, corn, celery, carrots, green pepper, cilantro, and adobo seasoning in the simmering pot. Return soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low and continue simmering until the sancocho is thick and the root vegetables are soft, 1 to 2 hours. Stir in the remaining half of the water by gradual increments to replace any evaporated liquid.