Making Puchero like a Pro

So, what is Mexican puchero? Fair question. It is a delicious, hearty, Mexican stew that utilizes shank, neck, or ox tail.

If you hunt or purchase an entire animal (a side of beef, for example) you will inevitably find yourself with bizarre cuts of meat that you do not know how to use. In my house, we hunt big game and waterfowl, we fish (maybe too much) and we purchase whole animals. So, needless to say, we end up with strange cuts.

That is where Hank Shaw comes in. Hank Shaw is a hunter, angler, and chef. He is a James Beard award winner and truly amazing. Although I have never met him, I might have a crush on him, just sayin’. But, I digress. He has a series of cookbooks which are lifesaving, runs a fantastic blog, and has an email list where he sends out recipes.

A few months ago, I realized we had a lot of soup bones and ox tail. I turned to Hank Shaw and discovered a recipe for Mexican Puchero. I honestly did not even know what that was, but the picture looked appetizing, and I love soup. It is a hearty stew that uses cuts of meat that I had.

Hank’s recipes can be involved, but they never disappoint. For example, this is what my kitchen looked like while making puchero:

This recipe called for shank, shoulder, or neck meat. I had some of that, along with soup bones and ox tail. It uses hearty vegetables and makes enough for a small army.

You start by putting the meat into a large pot and allowing it to simmer for 3 (!) hours. I told you it can be involved! But it is worth it.

Then you have to remove the meat from the bone, which can be a scalding experience if you are impatient like I am.

Next, you add the vegetables and continue to cook. The end product is a delicious, savory stew that uses part of the animal that can be tricky to incorporate into an everyday meal. Although this recipe takes time, it makes so much stew that I froze it and ate it for months.

You really should buy his cookbooks, or at least check out his website.

Here is the link to his amazing recipe for Puchero:
https://honest-food.net/puchero-recipe/#recipe