A ceremonial baked dish from Lower Piura. Goat and pork seasoned with ají panca and vinegar cook slowly in a sealed pot over sweet potato and ripe plantain, whose juices mingle throughout. A fresh criolla onion relish cuts through the richness.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Cut the goat and pork into large pieces. Mix the vinegar, ají panca paste, ground garlic, cumin, pepper, four fifths of the salt, and vegetable oil. Coat the meats thoroughly and marinate for 60 minutes. They should be deeply seasoned and moist, but not swimming in liquid.
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Wash the yellow sweet potato and ripe plantain and cut them into large pieces, keeping the sweet potato skin and plantain peel on to protect them during the long cooking. Arrange the sweet potato first in an oven-safe clay pot, followed by the plantain and finally the meats with all their marinade.
Cover the clay pot very tightly with two layers of aluminum foil, pressing firmly around the rim to trap the steam. Bake for 2 hours and 30 minutes without opening. The meats should be very tender when pierced, the sweet potato fully soft, and the plantain sweet and moistened by the meat juices.
While the copús finishes cooking, slice the red onion thinly and mix it with chopped ají limo, cilantro, lime juice, and the remaining salt. Let it stand for 10 minutes, until the onion loses some of its raw sharpness while staying crisp.
Remove the pot with oven gloves, open the foil with your face away from the escaping steam, and rest the copús for 10 minutes. Serve goat and pork with sweet potato and plantain, spooning the concentrated pot juices over each portion. Finish with the criolla onion relish on the side. Success is easy to recognize: tender but juicy meat, soft sweet potato, and plantain glazed by the meat juices. 🔥
