Ingredients

Serves 6-8

Locro 
1 x large onion, chopped
500g beef short rib, chopped into pieces
250g pancetta cut into lardons (cubes)
100g tinned sweet red peppers, strained and chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
Juice of 1 lemon
1L water
1 bottle of good Argentinean malbec, eg. Tomero Malbec
500g pork knuckle broken into pieces


3 x yellow squash, diced
1 large desiree potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 x 250 tin white beans (see note)
2 tsp parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper


Sofrito  
6 cloves garlic, smashed and halved
1 large onion, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 generous tbsp of pimenton dulce (sweet paprika)
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 spring onions, chopped finely
100g tinned sweet red peppers, strained and chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (peperoncino)
½ tsp ground coriander


To serve
2-3 whole corn cobs, cut into 5cm rounds and barbecued
Chopped parsley to garnish


 

Method


Firstly to start the locro heat a large pot to a moderate heat with some olive oil
Add the short rib pieces, followed by pancetta and the onions until browned nicely.
Now add the tomato paste, bay leaf, lemon juice and deglaze with half the bottle of malbec. Allow to reduce by half.
Add the water and pork knuckle and allow to simmer for the next 60 minutes, checking intermittently.
Now add the vegetables, white beans and red peppers.
Simmer for 20 - 30 minutes more being careful not to let pot dry out or beans stick to the bottom. Add more water (but not too much) when necessary.

In the meantime, to make the sofrito sauce, heat your oil and add all spices, parsley and spring onions to it and gently combine for five minutes on low heat. Do not allow spring onions to get crisp.
Season sauce with salt and pepper, and if you think it feels a bit thick, add a little water to thin it out.
Season locro to taste with salt and pepper, and serve in large bowls with the sofrito on the side.
Serve barbecued corn on the side and then if you like some rice. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Enjoy with a rough n’ready bottle of Malbec.

Notes:
Best made with dried beans, soaked overnight, however you can easily use tinned beans as a substitute.

Tomero Malbec is available from www.exclusivevines.com.au