Fricase
Ingredients
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- 2 cups dried hominy (mote) – soaked overnight
- 8 ounces black chuño – soaked overnight
- 16 cups water
- 3 pounds pork shoulder, bone-in – cut into large chunks (~4.5 n/a pork shoulders)
- 2 leaves bay leaves
- 1 1/2 ounces dried ají amarillo chiles (~10 medium dried aji amarillo chiles)
- 1 1/2 ounces dried ají colorado (ají panca) chiles
- 6 cloves garlic cloves
- 1 slice stale white bread – torn
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano – crumbled
- 2 tbsp lard
- 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper – freshly ground
Instructions
1. The night before, place the dried hominy (mote) in a large bowl and cover with cold water by 3 inches; in a separate bowl, rinse the black chuño in several changes of cold water, then cover with fresh water. Soak both 8–12 hours.
2. Drain the hominy, transfer to a pot, and cover with fresh water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the kernels are tender and beginning to bloom, 1.5–2 hours; drain and keep warm. Drain the chuño, rinse again, then simmer in fresh water until tender and slightly translucent inside, 45–60 minutes; drain, peel any loose skins, and keep warm.
3. Place the pork shoulder and bay leaves in a large pot and add about 8 cups of the water to cover. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, reduce to a gentle simmer, and cook until the pork is very tender but holds its shape, 1.5–2 hours.
4. While the pork cooks, stem and seed the dried ají amarillo chiles and dried ají colorado (ají panca) chiles. Cover with hot water and soak until pliable, about 20 minutes; reserve 1 cup of the soaking liquid and drain the rest.
5. In a blender, combine the soaked chiles, garlic cloves, stale white bread, ground cumin, dried oregano, 0.5 cup pork cooking broth, and 0.5 cup reserved chile soaking liquid. Blend until very smooth, 1–2 minutes.
6. When the pork is tender, lift it out to a bowl; strain and reserve the cooking broth. Heat the lard in a wide pot over medium heat, add the chile purée, and cook, stirring often, until thickened, aromatic, and the color deepens and the fat begins to separate, 6–8 minutes.
7. Return the pork to the pot with the fried chile sauce and add 2 cups of the reserved pork broth. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce coats the meat and the oil rises to the surface, 20–30 minutes; season with the kosher salt and black pepper.
8. Serve the fricase hot in bowls with plenty of sauce, accompanied by the cooked hominy and black chuño on the side.
Fricase is a hearty Bolivian pork stew marked by a vivid, brick-red sauce built from ají amarillo and ají colorado chiles. The broth is rich and slightly oily, with deep cumin and garlic notes that cling to tender chunks of pork. It is traditionally served with two highland staples—mote (hominy) and chuño (freeze-dried potatoes)—which balance the stew’s warmth and spice with earthy, starchy comfort.
Originating in the Andean city of La Paz, fricase is a morning restorative as much as a meal, often enjoyed at markets and roadside stalls to ward off the cold. The dish reflects centuries of highland foodways: native preserved potatoes and maize paired with pork introduced in colonial times. Over time, cooks standardized its identity around the twin chiles, lard-fried sauce, and simple seasonings, producing a dish that is both regional and emblematic of Bolivian cuisine.