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Chivo en coco
Chivo en coco: goat stewed slowly in coconut milk, from Zulia and the Guajira
Goats graze the dry scrub of the Guajira peninsula, and in Zulia the meat is stewed in fresh coconut milk with a sofrito of onion, ají dulce and garlic until it falls from the bone. It's party and Sunday food in Maracaibo, served with fried ripe plantain, white rice or arepas to soak up the sauce. The common mistake is boiling the coconut milk hard, which splits it into a greasy sauce. Chef's tip: add the coconut milk only for the last 40 minutes and keep the pot at a gentle bubble.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 3 ⅓ lb bone-in goat shoulder or legin 5 cm pieces
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp salt
For the stew
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp ground annatto (onoto)
- 2 onionschopped
- 1 red pepperchopped
- 6 ají dulce (sweet chilli peppers)chopped
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 3 spring onionssliced
- 2 tomatoeschopped
- 2 cups water
- 3 ¼ cups coconut milk
- ½ oz fresh corianderchopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rub 3 ⅓ lb bone-in goat shoulder or leg with 3 tbsp lime juice, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ground cumin and 2 tsp salt. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
10 minStep 2: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy pot over a medium-high heat, stir in 1 tsp ground annatto (onoto) and brown the goat in batches for 6–8 minutes, until well coloured. Set aside.
20 minStep 3: Lower the heat and fry 2 onions, 1 red pepper, 6 ají dulce (sweet chilli peppers), 3 cloves garlic and 3 spring onions for 10 minutes, until soft. Add 2 tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
15 minStep 4: Return the goat, add 2 cups water, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring now and then.
75 minStep 5: Stir in 3 ¼ cups coconut milk and simmer, uncovered and without boiling hard, for 40 minutes, until the meat pulls off the bone and the sauce is creamy. Scatter with ½ oz fresh coriander.
40 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 40 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chivo en coco take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 150 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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