Rec: COCIDO

The L.A. Times food section carried a story by Barbara Hansen about Cocido today. It's a Mexican meat and vegetable soup, very simple to do, very tasty, and good to remember for the cooler weather (in the Northern Hemisphere). My notes are in square brackets. -aem

COCIDO (from the L.A. Times, Barbara Hansen)

Cocido aka Caldo de Res

Total time: 2 1-2 hours

Servings: 4

Note: Some markets sell beef shank already cut; if not, ask the butcher to cut it for you.

3 pounds beef shank cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces 1-2 onion, halved lengthwise then cut in 4 wedges 3 cloves garlic 2 bay leaves 2 teaspoons salt 10 peppercorns 2 red potatoes, peeled if desired, cut into 1 1-2 -inch pieces 2 ears corn, cut into 1 1-2 -inch pieces 1 large carrot, peeled and cut diagonally into 3-4 -inch slices (about 3-4 cup) 16 green beans cut into 2-inch pieces (about 3-4 cup) 1 sprig each oregano, marjoram and thyme 2 zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces or chayote, if you are lucky enough to find it 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or 4 sprigs for garnishing

Note: you will often see a little bit of cabbage, too; the green beans are not as commonly seen

Accompaniments:

Mexican rice

Salsa and-or sliced jalape–os

Mexican limes, halved (optional) I think limes are mandatory.

Tortillas, either corn or flour, are universally served with cocido. Don't know why she omitted them.

1. Place the meat in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Drain, discarding the water. Rinse the pot. Return the meat to the pot and add water to cover (12 to 14 cups depending on the pot).

2. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover loosely and boil gently until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours. Skim the surface as needed.

3. When the meat is tender, add the potatoes, corn, carrot, green beans, oregano, marjoram and thyme. Cover loosely and boil gently until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

4. Taste the broth and add more salt if needed. Add the zucchini and cook just until tender. Do not overcook or the zucchini will become soft and fall apart.

5. Serve in large soup bowls, spooning meat, some of each vegetable and broth into each bowl. Garnish with a cilantro sprig or a dash of chopped cilantro. Serve Mexican rice on the side. Some people add rice to the soup as they eat it. Accompany with hot salsa or sliced jalape–os and a bowl of Mexican limes.

Each serving: 384 calories; 44 grams protein; 34 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 8 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 89 mg. cholesterol; 1,274 mg. sodium.