Sancocho Trifásico (Three Meat Colombian Soup)
Sancocho Trifásico is a traditional Colombian stew prepared with three different meats, chicken, beef, and pork. It’s an incredibly flavorful and very filling one-pot meal!
In this blog, I already shared with you two recipes for making different types of Colombian sancocho which are the beef short rib sancocho and the hen sancocho. Both recipes are delicious even though I made each one differently. In this third recipe for sancocho trifásico (three-meat soup), I also use other ingredients and different steps to make it than the other two. Why? Simply because I want to show you that one recipe can be made in several ways and using other types of ingredients to get the same result, a delicious soup.
You can’t imagine the frustration I feel from time to time when I read comments, not only on the blog but also on different social media platforms, saying things like “That’s not how I, or my mom or my grandmother or my aunt makes it”. “That’s not a Colombian sancocho because it doesn’t have arracacha or you didn’t make it with hogao o it’s not thick enough”. “In my house, we only make it with plantain and potatoes and don’t add cassava” or “And the onion? I see that you added aliños but I don’t see any onion”. Let’s just say that they are such negative comments that they make me want to shut down the blog and not share any more recipes with the rest of the world. For what? So they can criticize something they never tasted? The good news is that I have never seriously considered shutting down my blog, however, this is my answer to all those negative people, a sancocho, a pot of beans, an arroz con pollo (chicken and rice), a seafood stew or a tamal can be made in a ton of different ways depending on the region, the city or the family member who is making it.
This recipe is not only different because I make a guiso or base sauce at the beginning of the cooking process and blend the plantain to add more flavor and thickness. It’s also unique because it is made with three different types of meat, chicken, pork, and beef. Some will think it’s an exaggeration, and it is! But to minimize the huge amount of ingredients that it has what I do at home is serve smaller portions of meat and don’t add corn, which doesn’t matter here in the US given that you can only find sweet corn and it doesn’t go that well with this dish. And it doesn’t matter which type of meat you end up using, use the meat you enjoy eating the most and you’ll see how delicious this sancocho trifásico turns out which is a Colombian cuisine classic.
¡Buen provecho!
Sancocho Trifásico (Three Meat Colombian Soup)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- ¼ white or yellow onion (chopped)
- 2 green onions (stalks only, chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 2 medium tomatoes (I use Roma, chopped)
- 1 beef bouillon (optional)
- ½ tsp ground cumin (or to taste)
- 1 tsp color (Triguisar, Sazón Goya, Bijol or homemade(optional))
- 8-10 cups 2-2¼ liters water
- 1 lb beef cut into 4 equal pieces (any kind of beef, beef short ribs and chuck work very well)
- 4 bone in chicken pieces (drumsticks or thighs)
- 1 lb pork meat cut into 4 equal pieces (any kind of pork meat)
- 1½ green plantain roughly cut into pieces
- ½ green plantain (whole)
- 4 red potatoes (peeled and cut into quarters)
- 4 pieces cassava
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped cilantro for garnishing
Instructions
- In a large pot heat the oil over medium heat, add the white onion and cook until it's translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the green onion and garlic and cook for another minute. Now add the tomato and cool until it softens, about 3-5 minutes. Add the beef bouillon, ground cumin and color with a small amount of water to make a guiso (sauce).
- Add the beef with the rest of the water. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once it is boiling reduce the heat to medium low and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Then add the chicken, pork, chopped plantain and whole plantain. Bring it to a boil once again and cook on medium low for 35 minutes.
- Take out the whole plantain and blend it with about ½ cup of soup to make a puree. This intensifies the flavor and helps thicken the soup.
- Add the potatoes, cassava and the plantain puree to the pot. You can also add more water if you think it's necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil on high heat, then reduce the heat to medium low and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes and cassava are cooked.
- Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately with chopped cilantro, white rice and avocado.
Living in the U.S. and not being close to My Colombian side of the Family. I truly appreciate you sharing all these recipes, I’ve learned so much! I’m Colombian/Italian Best of both world’s when it comes to food. L?VE your website.
Thank you, so much, Vivian!
Hace unos meses por pura casualidad encontré dulce y salado y traté de repetir la receta de los roscones. Desde ese día guardo una profunda admiración a su blog, por la dedicación que el cariño que transmite a quienes añoramos la comida colombiana. Yo me había limitado a tratar de repetir la receta y disfrutar el resultado. En mi casa estamos profundamente agradecidos por su dedicación. Los comentarios negativos son inevitables y están fuera de su control; pero por cada comentario negativo que recibe hay conmigo un gran número de personas que valoramos su dedicación.
Muchas gracias.
¡Hola Jorge! Tienes toda la razón cuando dices que lo comentarios negativos son inevitables, pero lo mejor es subir la cabeza bien en alto y seguir la marcha. ¡Gracias por tu comentario!
Me encanta Sweetysalado,explica super bien y en Las dos versiones es fácil de encontrar los ingredients aquì en los estados unidos.Gracias
Do you know the nutritional values of this dish? Fat, carbs protein etc
I do not and to be quite honest, I’m afraid to even look. Not the healthiest of dishes. ?
Thank you so much for sharing your colombian recipes! My wonderful husband is Colombian/Peruvian but his attributes lean more Colombian. I’ve wanted to cook meals that his late mother would have made for him and your recipes don’t dissapoint! He LOVED the Pernil, couldn’t get enough! Now I can’t wait to try this Sancocho. Keep it up! You make it so easy for a gringa like me to learn! ¡Muchas gracias por sus recetas!
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Never shut down the blog!!! I am a Colombian girl, living in the Netherlands, raised by Dutch people. Food is my only connection to Colombia and the memories I have of it! I was 5 when I left and miss it more and more. I made your empanadas seviral times! ( I failed cause I don’t season good) I love your page!!!
Thank you soooo much!
Eres la mejor profesora te sigo hace muchos años y me encantan demasiado todas tus recetas son simplemente deliciosas y perfectas gracias 🙏 sweet y salado!!! 🫶😋 att milena.
¡Qué linda eres Milena! ¡Mucha gracias! ❤️ 😊