Title: Ajiaco criollo cuban creole stew
 Categories: Meat, Taste, 
      Yield: 1 Servings
 
-----------------------FOR THE BROTH----------------------------
    1/2 lb Tasajo (jerked beef); cut in
           -2-inch chunks
      1 lb Pork meat; cut in 2-inch
           -chunks
      1 lb Beef brisket; cut in 2-inch
           -chunks
      1    Bay leaf

----------------------FOR THE SOFRITO---------------------------
    1/4 c  Vegetable oil
      2 lg Onions; peeled & chopped
      1 md Green bell pepper;
           -cored,seeded,chopped
      3    Cloves garlic; minced
      1 ts Freshly ground pepper
    1/2 ts Ground cumin
      1 c  Tomatoes (canned are fine);
           -crushed

MMMMM----------------------TO COMPLETE STEW---------------------------
    1/2 lb (1 medium) yellow malanga
      1 lb (2 medium) white malanga
      1 lb (2 medium) boniato
    1/2 lb (1/2 medium) name
      1 lb (2 medium) yucca
      1 lb (1/2 medium) calabaza
      2    Ears corn; husked
      2    Green plantains
    1/4 c  Fresh lime juice
      2    Semi-ripe (yellow) plantains
      1    Ripe (almost black) plantain
 
  Make the broth:
  
  Cover the tasajo with cold water and soak it for at least 8 hours.
  (There is no need to refrigerate it.) Change the water and continue
  soaking for another hour. Drain again and rinse under cold running
  water. Put the tasajo in a large, heavy pot and add about 6 quarts of
  water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 1
  hour. Add the pork, beef brisket, and bay leaf, and let the three
  meats cook together until tender. Remove the pot from the heat and
  skim as much fat as possible from the broth. (If you have time, the
  best way is to refrigerate the broth overnight until the fat
  solidifies and then remove it.)
  
  Make the Sofrito:
  
  Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onions and
  green pepper until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add
  the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add the pepper, cumin, and
  tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
  
  Add the sofrito to the broth and simmer, covered, while you prepare
  the vegetables.
  
  Complete the Dish:
  
  Peel the malanga, boniato, name, yucca, and calabaza and cube them.
  Cut the corn and green plantains into 1 1/2-inch pieces. With a
  knife slit the skin of each piece of greenplantain by opening it away
  from the center as if you were taking off a coat. Sprinkle the
  plantain pieces with the lime juice. Slit the semi-ripe and ripe
  plantains lengthwise and slice them crosswise into 1 1/2-inch rounds.
  Do not remove their skins or they will disintegrate in the stew.
  
  Add the green plantains to the simmering stew. After about 15
  minutes, add the semiripe plantains. After another 15 minutes, add
  the ripe plantains and let them simmer for about 10 minutes.
  
  Serve hot in soup plates or, cocido-style, with the meats,
  vegetables, and broth in separate dishes. ( Each diner removes the
  skin from the semi-ripe and ripe plantains themselves.)