Caribbean 2x Steak & Sweet Potato Sancocho
Enjoy a multi-dish culinary tour of a new destination!
- Eggs
- Milk
- Wheat
This hearty Cuban-inspired sancocho simmers seared steak with sweet potato, bell pepper, and corn in a richly spiced broth, finished with a bright chimichurri swirl. Mini arepas, made from crumbled polenta and flour, are shallow-fried until golden and crispy, then topped with guacamole, cotija, and smoky red pepper crema. Fluffy white rice and a honey oregano green salad round out this satisfying spread.
Ingredients
1 unit
Green Bell Pepper
2 unit
Corn
20 ounce
Bavette Steak
1.5 ounce
Southwest Honey Oregano Dressing
(Contains: Eggs)
1 unit
Tomato Paste
1 unit
Precooked Polenta
½ cup
Cotija Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Sweet Potato
2 tablespoon
Smoky Red Pepper Crema
(Contains: Milk)
2 unit
Beef Stock Concentrate
4 tablespoon
Guacamole
2 ounce
Mixed Greens
2 ounce
Chimichurri
¾ cup
White Rice
½ cup
Flour
(Contains: Wheat)
Not included in your delivery
1 tablespoon
Cuban Spice Blend
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
2 tablespoon (tbsp)
Cooking Oil
4 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Cooking Steps
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Wash and dry produce.
-
Drain polenta and transfer to a large bowl; using your hands, crumble into pea-size pieces.
-
Add flour, 2 TBSP water, and ¼ tsp salt (4 TBSP water and ½ tsp salt for 4 servings). Using your hands, mash until flour is thoroughly incorporated, 30-60 seconds.
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Set dough aside to rest for 15 minutes.
- While dough rests, peel and dice sweet potato into ½-inch pieces. Core, deseed, and dice bell pepper into ½-inch pieces. Drain corn.
- In a small pot, combine rice, 1¼ cups water (2¼ cups for 4 servings), and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is tender, 15-20 minutes.
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Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
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While rice cooks, pat steak* dry with paper towels and cut into 1-inch pieces; season lightly with salt and pepper.
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Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook until browned, 2-3 minutes (it’ll finish cooking in Step 7). (For 4 servings, you may need to work in batches.)
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Transfer steak to a plate.
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Heat a large drizzle of oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato, bell pepper, and corn; cook, stirring frequently, until bell pepper is lightly browned, 1-2 minutes.
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Stir in tomato paste; cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pot, until fragrant, 15-30 seconds. Stir in stock concentrates, Cuban Spice Blend, and 2½ cups water (4½ cups for 4 servings) until combined.
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Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot, until sweet potato is tender and liquid has thickened, 10-12 minutes more.
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Once dough has rested 15 minutes, divide into six equal portions (12 portions for 4 servings); shape each piece into a ball.
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On a clean work surface, flatten each ball into a ¼-inch-thick round using the palm of your hand. TIP: If dough feels sticky, coat your work surface and hands with nonstick cooking spray.
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Heat a ⅓-inch layer of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot enough that a pinch of dough sizzles when added to the pan, carefully add arepas (work in batches if necessary). Cook until bottoms begin to brown, 2-3 minutes.
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Carefully flip arepas. Cook until opposite sides begin to brown, 2-3 minutes more. TIP: The oil will get hotter with each batch. If arepas begin to brown too quickly, reduce heat to medium.
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Transfer arepas to a paper-towel-lined plate.
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In a second large bowl, toss mixed greens with dressing.
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Stir steak and chimichurri into pot with sancocho; cook until steak is cooked through, 2-3 minutes.
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Top arepas with guacamole, cotija, and a drizzle of smoky red pepper crema.
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Divide sancocho between bowls. Serve with rice, salad, and arepas on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Oct 2026- Flavor: The sancocho broth was genuinely delicious and the arepas were well-received, though the salad dressing felt too heavy for some 🍲.
- Ease of prep: The meal takes longer than 40 minutes to prepare, so plan extra time — but most found the effort worthwhile.
- Suggestions: If the arepas stick to the pan, use a well-oiled nonstick surface and reduce the heat between batches to prevent burning. Some skipped the rice to keep the meal lighter, and the stew paired perfectly with it when included.
- Leftovers: This dish makes excellent lunch leftovers and can even be frozen, making the extra cooking time feel well worth it.
