#puchero

As July is nutrition month, let’s make a pot of Pochero or Puchero!

It is a flexible dish, typically made with meat which is cooked in tomato sauce with bok choy or pechay. The special ingredient in Pochero is typically saba, giving it a sweet, banana flavor, especially if the saba is browned first before adding.

Garbanzo beans are also a common ingredient, but contemporary cooks in homes across the country also use another special ingredient: pork and beans! It magnifies the sweet and savory flavor of Pochero while adding volume to each spoonful you eat.

Pochero does not normally get confused with other kamatis-based stews (Kaldereta, Afritada, Mechado, and Menudo). Probably because it is one of the few tomato stews that use saba, or other kinds of bananas or plantains, as well as bok choy or pechay. Though it is also common with potatoes, and sometimes bell peppers and carrots.

Bisaya Pochero uses beef, saba, corn, tanglad, and no tomato sauce, making it a delicious and savory tangy soup without the sour and red of tomato. Whichever Pochero you make, it is packed with vegetables, and the meat can be substituted with plant-based proteins for an even healthier July and beyond :).

Artprint: https://society6.com/product/pochero-puchero-recipe-art_print