A Peruvian criollo stew of dried potato, pork and ají panca made for slow, steady cooking. It turns thick and deeply savory, with tender potato soaking up the aderezo and toasted peanuts adding its unmistakable nutty depth.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Toast the dried potato in a dry pot over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until it smells nutty and a few pieces look lightly more golden, never burnt. Rinse away the surface dust, cover it with part of the hot water and let it hydrate for 30 minutes; then drain well.
Season the pork with part of the salt, all the black pepper and cumin. Heat part of the oil over medium-high heat and brown the pork in batches for 7 to 9 minutes total, until it has deeply browned edges; remove it and leave the rendered fat and browned bits in the pot.
Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining oil and cook the red onion for 7 to 9 minutes, until very soft and translucent. Add the ground garlic for 1 minute, then stir in the ají panca paste; cook for another 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until the aderezo looks dark and glossy and no longer smells raw.
Return the pork to the pot, add the hydrated dried potato and pour in the remaining water, enough for the stew to look loose at the start. Once it comes to a boil, reduce to low heat and simmer partially covered for 40 to 45 minutes, scraping the bottom from time to time, until the pork is fully cooked and tender, the potato is soft but still holds recognizable pieces, and the liquid begins to thicken.
Crush the toasted peanuts and stir them in with the remaining salt. Cook uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring more often as the stew thickens, until the carapulcra is thick, moist and glossy, moves like a stew rather than a soup, and a spoon dragged through it leaves a trail that takes a moment to close. Taste the seasoning before turning off the heat.
Serve the carapulcra piping hot, making sure each plate gets a good balance of dried potato and pork. And that’s it! If it is thick but still juicy, with tender potato and the aderezo clinging to every piece, it came out just right 😌
