Dominican Sancocho (Meat and Root-Vegetable Stew)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 lb bone-in chicken thighs, each cut through the joint if very large
• 1/3 cup sour orange juice, or 3 tbsp fresh lime juice plus 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
• 6 garlic cloves, finely grated, divided
• 2 tsp dried Dominican oregano, divided
• 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp black pepper, divided
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 Cubanelle pepper or green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 cup chopped cilantro, tender stems and leaves separated
• 12 cups water, plus more as needed
• 2 green plantains, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 lb yuca, peeled, woody core removed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 lb yautía, malanga or tannia, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 ears corn, shucked and cut crosswise into 2-inch rounds
• 1 1/2 lb calabaza, kabocha or West Indian pumpkin, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• Cooked white rice, avocado and lime wedges, for serving

Method

1. 1.Put the beef and pork in one nonreactive bowl and the chicken in another. Divide the sour orange, garlic, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt and black pepper between them; toss well, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes while preparing the vegetables.
2. 2.Heat the oil in an 8-quart heavy pot over medium-high. Lift the beef and pork from their marinade, letting excess drip back into the bowl, and brown them in three uncrowded batches, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer each batch to a tray.
3. 3.Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, Cubanelle pepper, celery and chopped cilantro stems; cook 5 to 7 minutes, scraping the browned fond, until the vegetables soften and smell sweet rather than raw.
4. 4.Return the beef and pork with their resting juices and reserved marinade. Add 10 cups water, bring to a boil, skim the foam, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Partially cover and cook 45 minutes.
5. 5.Add the marinated chicken and enough of the remaining water to keep the meat barely submerged. Simmer 20 minutes. Checkpoint: the beef should be beginning to soften but still resist a fork; the chicken will finish as the roots cook.
6. 6.Add the green plantain, yuca, yautía and corn. Return to a simmer and cook partially covered for 20 minutes, stirring from the bottom only occasionally so the root pieces remain intact.
7. 7.Add the squash and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes more. Remove any chicken piece once it reaches 165°F / 74°C and returns easily from the bone; add it back for the final warm-through.
8. 8.Checkpoint: beef and pork should yield to a fork, yuca should be opaque and split at its edges with no hard center, and yautía should be creamy-tender. Continue in 10-minute intervals if the meats or roots resist.
9. 9.Mash several squash and plantain pieces against the side of the pot and stir them into the liquid. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes, until the broth lightly coats a spoon but still flows around the intact meat and vegetables.
10. 10.Fold in the chopped cilantro leaves. Taste a cooled spoonful and adjust salt, pepper and sour orange; the final broth should be savory and herbaceous, with gentle citrus rather than sharp acidity.
11. 11.Rest off heat for 10 minutes so the broth settles. Ladle meat, corn and a mix of roots into each bowl before adding broth, ensuring no serving receives only liquid or only starch.
12. 12.Serve hot with white rice, avocado and lime alongside. Cool the large batch quickly in shallow containers within 2 hours and refrigerate for up to 4 days; reheat to 165°F / 74°C.