Zapappy

Name: Chairo
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 1665 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Bolivian
Ingredients: 6 oz, Whole black chuño; ¾ cup; As needed, For soaking, rinsing, cooking, and restoring the broth volume; 5 oz, Preferably bone-in dried salted lamb; 2½ lb, Bone-in and cut crosswise into 2 or 3 pieces; 14 cups; 1 medium onion (7 oz), Peeled and halved; 4 large cloves, Lightly crushed; 8 stems, Fresh flat-leaf parsley stems; 4 sprigs; 4 tsp, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided; reserve half for adjustment after tasting; 1 tsp, Whole; 2 tbsp, Such as sunflower or avocado oil; 1 medium onion (6 oz), Cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 3 cloves, Minced; 2 tbsp; 1 tsp; 1 tsp, Crumbled; 2 medium carrots (8 oz), Peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 1 medium turnip (6 oz), Peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 1½ lb, Yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) pieces; 4 packed cups (10 oz), Thinly sliced; 1 cup (5 oz), Fresh or frozen; ½ cup (¾ oz), Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; ¼ cup (⅓ oz), Fresh leaves, finely chopped; 4 scallions (2 oz), White and green parts thinly sliced

Cooking

Ingredients

Chuño and hominy

6 oz, Whole black chuño
¾ cup
As needed, For soaking, rinsing, cooking, and restoring the broth volume

Meat broth

5 oz, Preferably bone-in dried salted lamb
2½ lb, Bone-in and cut crosswise into 2 or 3 pieces
14 cups
1 medium onion (7 oz), Peeled and halved
4 large cloves, Lightly crushed
8 stems, Fresh flat-leaf parsley stems
4 sprigs
4 tsp, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided; reserve half for adjustment after tasting
1 tsp, Whole

Soup

2 tbsp, Such as sunflower or avocado oil
1 medium onion (6 oz), Cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
3 cloves, Minced
2 tbsp
1 tsp
1 tsp, Crumbled
2 medium carrots (8 oz), Peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
1 medium turnip (6 oz), Peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
1½ lb, Yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) pieces
4 packed cups (10 oz), Thinly sliced
1 cup (5 oz), Fresh or frozen
½ cup (¾ oz), Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup (⅓ oz), Fresh leaves, finely chopped
4 scallions (2 oz), White and green parts thinly sliced

Directions

Soak and prepare the chuño and hominy

The night before cooking, place black chuno and dried hulled hominy in separate {{tool:mixing-bowl}} vessels. Cover each with water by at least 3 inches and soak at room temperature for 8–12 hours. Change the chuño water twice during soaking.
Drain the black chuno in a {{tool:colander}}. Scrape or pull away any remaining dark skin, then press each piece firmly between your palms to split it into irregular ½- to ¾-inch pieces. Cover with fresh water, agitate thoroughly, and drain. Repeat twice more, squeezing gently during the final rinse; the last water should be considerably clearer and the chuño should smell earthy but not sharply fermented.
Drain the dried hulled hominy and place it in a {{tool:saucepan}} with 6 cups fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a steady simmer, and cook partially covered for 75–120 minutes, adding hot water as needed to keep the kernels submerged. Drain when the kernels are swollen and creamy inside but retain a gentle chew.

Make the meat broth

While the hominy cooks, rinse the chalona under cool running water. Soak it in a {{tool:mixing-bowl}} of cold water for 30 minutes, then drain.
Combine the chalona, beef shank, cold water, yellow onion, garlic cloves, parsley, mint, 2 teaspoons of the kosher salt, and black peppercorns in a {{tool:large-stockpot}}. Bring slowly to a bare simmer over medium heat, about 25 minutes, skimming away gray foam and excess surface fat.
Partially cover and cook at a very gentle simmer for 1¾–2¼ hours. Remove the chalona with {{tool:tongs}} if it becomes tender before the beef; the beef is ready when a fork enters easily and the meat pulls cleanly from the bone.
Transfer both meats to a plate. Strain the broth through a {{tool:fine-mesh-sieve}}, discarding the spent onion, garlic, herbs, peppercorns, and bones. Skim away excess fat while leaving a thin layer for flavor, then add enough hot water to return the broth to 12 cups.
When cool enough to handle, pull the beef and chalona into bite-size shreds, discarding bones, gristle, and especially hard or salty exterior pieces. Keep the meat covered.

Build the chairo

Prepare the vegetables and herbs with a {{tool:chef-knife}} on a stable {{tool:cutting-board}}. Wipe out the stockpot and heat the neutral oil over medium heat. Add the yellow onion soup and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring frequently with a {{tool:wooden-spoon}}, until soft and translucent but not browned. Add the garlic, aji amarillo paste, ground cumin, and dried oregano; cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the paste darkens slightly and smells rounded rather than raw.
Stir in the medium carrots soup and turnips, then pour in the strained broth. Scrape the bottom of the pot, bring to a simmer, and cook for 8 minutes.
Add the prepared black chuno and simmer for 12 minutes. Add the potatoes and green cabbage, then continue cooking at a gentle simmer for 14–18 minutes, until the potatoes are completely tender without disintegrating and the chuño is supple with no dry or chalky center.
Add the cooked dried hulled hominy, green peas, shredded beef, and shredded chalona. Simmer for 5–7 minutes, until the peas are tender and the meats are piping hot. Taste the fully integrated broth, then add some, all, or none of the remaining 2 teaspoons kosher salt as needed; the chalona should remain distinct without making the broth aggressively salty.

Finish and serve

Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the parsley, mint, and scallions. Cover and rest for 5 minutes so the herbs perfume the broth without losing their freshness.
Use a {{tool:ladle}} to portion the chairo into deep, warmed bowls, distributing the beef, chalona, chuño, hominy, potatoes, and vegetables evenly. Serve hot.