Cachupa
Aperçu
Cachupa is the national dish of Cape Verde, a slow cooked stew of hominy corn, several kinds of bean, root vegetables and preserved meats or fish. Every island has its own version, every family has its own version, and Cape Verdeans are clear that no two pots are ever quite the same. Corn and beans are the constant. Beyond that it takes in cassava, sweet potato, collard greens or kale, and whatever protein is to hand: corned beef, salt pork, chouriço or linguiça, or freshly caught fish. It reflects an archipelago where imported preserved meat and locally caught fish sat alongside a limited range of crops, and where nothing was wasted. The name is contested in the diaspora. In Cape Verde itself only cachupa is used, on any island, while some Cape Verdean families who have been in the United States for generations say munchupa, and the disagreement between the two runs along generational lines. There is also cachupa rica and cachupa pobre, the rich and poor versions, distinguished by how much meat goes in, and leftover cachupa refried with egg and sausage the next morning is called cachupa refogada and is regarded by many as the better meal.
Note de Patrimoine AFN
Cachupa is the national dish of Cape Verde, built on hominy corn and beans with regional variation across the islands. It exists in documented rich and poor forms, cachupa rica and cachupa pobre, distinguished by the quantity of meat.
Ingrédients
Les mentions alimentaires sont fournies par les contributeurs à titre indicatif. Elles ne sont pas vérifiées par AFN et dépendent des produits que vous achetez. En cas d’allergie grave, vérifiez vous-même chaque ingrédient. Cuisine, allergies et votre propre jugement
Préparation
- 1
The night before, season the corned beef and salt pork with the vinegar, bay leaf, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the crushed garlic. Marinate in the fridge overnight.
- 2
Soak the feijão pedra and the cranberry beans overnight as well.
- 3
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large stockpot and add the chopped onion and the other tablespoon of garlic. Move the bay leaf from the meat to the pot and sauté the onions until fragrant.
- 4
Add the marinated meats in a single layer if possible and brown for about 10 minutes, 5 minutes a side. Remove and set aside.
- 5
Add a bouillon cube and the tomato paste to the pot and whisk until smooth. Return the meat, then add the water, filling to about the level of the pot handles. Cover.
- 6
Bring to a boil, rinse the hominy thoroughly and add it. Return to a boil, then reduce to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- 7
Check every 30 minutes, stirring and topping up with boiling water as needed. Never add cold water.
- 8
Add the soaked beans and continue to simmer until both the hominy and the beans are tender, adding boiling water as required.
- 9
Add the peeled and chopped cassava and cook until it is soft.
- 10
Add the sliced chouriço or linguiça and the collard greens, and simmer until the greens have wilted and the stew has thickened.
- 11
Adjust the seasoning and serve.
Notes de l’Africook
- Keep a kettle of boiling water going throughout. Cold water added to the pot stops the hominy softening and lengthens the cook considerably.
- Soak the beans and marinate the meat the night before. Neither step can be compressed into the same day.
- Hominy takes far longer than beans, which is why it goes in first. Adding everything at once gives you disintegrated beans and firm corn.
- Yellow and white hominy taste the same. Yellow simply looks better in the pot.
- Leftovers refried the next morning with egg and sausage make cachupa refogada, which many Cape Verdeans consider the better meal.
Questions fréquentes
What is hominy and can I substitute it?
Hominy is dried corn treated with an alkaline solution, which softens the hull and changes its flavour. Samp, the coarsely crushed maize used across southern Africa, is the closest substitute and is named in the recipe. Ordinary dried corn will not soften the same way. Hominy is sold dried or tinned; dried is what this long cook is written for.
What is the difference between cachupa and munchupa?
Nothing, beyond the name. In Cape Verde only cachupa is used, on every island. Munchupa is heard among some Cape Verdean families who have been in the United States for generations, and the split runs along generational lines. It is a live disagreement in the diaspora rather than a difference in the dish.
What is cachupa refogada?
Leftover cachupa refried the next morning, usually with a fried egg on top and sometimes with sausage or fish. It is a breakfast dish in its own right and a great many Cape Verdeans will tell you it is better than the original. Making cachupa in a large quantity specifically to have leftovers is entirely normal.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Yes, and cachupa pobre, the poorer version, already uses far less meat. Leave out the corned beef, salt pork and sausage, use vegetable stock and lean on the beans, hominy, cassava, sweet potato and greens. It changes the character considerably but remains recognisable, and it reflects how the dish was actually eaten by many households.
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chale this dish takes patience paa! 4 hours cooking time is no lie. Reminds me a bit of bean stew back home but the tomato paste and bay leaf broth with the corned beef gives it a very distinct taste oo. My friend from Praia said her grandmother always adds hominy corn along with the feijao pedra, so I tossed some in at the end. Very hearty.
abeg where did you find feijão pedra in Toronto?? I searched whole of Mississauga and ended up just doubling the cranberry beans. Still came out amazing o! Marinating the salt pork and brisket overnight in that garlic and vinegar mix gave the broth such incredible depth after simmering. My family cleared the whole pot.
4 hours on the stove is no joke o. Made this yesterday but using two extra large bouillon cubes on top of the salt pork and corned beef made the broth way too salty. Next time I will definitely skip the extra salt in the overnight marinade completely. The texture of the cranberry beans came out good though.
simmered this for the full 4 hours on Sunday. couldnt find feijao pedra at Woolies so used sugar beans instead with the cranberry beans. That overnight marinate with the cider vinegar and paprika makes the corned beef brisket so tender, absolutely lekker rich stew.