An Andean feast cooked in layers and sealed in steam. Chincho, huacatay, and chicha de jora perfume juicy meats, potatoes, sweet potato, corn, and fava beans until the whole pot tastes deeply connected. Lift the lid and that rush of herbs and heat turns an ordinary lunch into the kind of meal that makes you want to call people to the table.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Cut the pork into large pieces about 5 cm across and make sure the chicken pieces are fairly even in size. Halve or cut the potatoes and sweet potatoes into large pieces, cut the corn into sections, and leave the fava beans whole. Keep everything substantial so it can handle the long steam without falling apart.
Reserve one fifth of the chincho and huacatay. Blend the rest with the chicha de jora, red wine vinegar, ají panca paste, seeded and deveined ají amarillo, garlic, oil, cumin, black pepper, and salt for 1 minute, until you have a thick, reddish-green, intensely aromatic marinade with no large pieces of herbs.
Place the chicken pieces and pork in a bowl, coat them thoroughly with the marinade, and refrigerate for 45 minutes. By the end, the meats should be fully coated and the marinade should still cling thickly to the surface; this short rest gives the pot plenty of flavor without turning the recipe into an all-day project.
Line the bottom of a large pot with about two thirds of the corn husks. Arrange the marinated meats first with all their marinade, then layer in the potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and fava beans. Scatter over the reserved chincho and huacatay, cover with the remaining husks, and seal with the lid. Keep the layers snug but not compressed so steam can circulate.
Set the pot over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until you hear a gentle simmer and see the first wisps of steam; then reduce to low heat and cook covered for 50 to 55 minutes without opening the lid. Check at the end: the potatoes should pierce easily, the pork should be tender, and the chicken must be fully cooked with no pink areas near the bone. If anything still resists, cover and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and leave the pot closed for 5 minutes before opening it carefully. Remove the husks and serve the meats, tubers, corn, and fava beans with some of the aromatic juices from the bottom. If the meats are juicy, the tubers are tender, and chincho and huacatay are the first aromas that rise when you open the pot, it came out exactly right. Get it to the table while it is still steaming! 🥘
