Sancocho Soup

Ingredients

 * One to one and half pounds of soup meat.
 * One medium soup chicken. (Cut up into serving pieces).
 * One pound of cooking ham or ham steak. (Diced into one inch square pieces).
 * One to two pounds of pork spare ribs. (Separated and cut in half).
 * Two packages of chorizo. (They usually come two in a package, unless your Butcher carries them fresh in that case get four of them).
 * One pound of yautia, peeled rinsed and cut into quarters.
 * Six green plantains peeled and cut into thirds.
 * One malanga about two pounds peeled and cut into two-inch pieces.
 * One pound of yuca peeled and cut into quarters.
 * Four or five green bananas peeled and cut in half.
 * One cup of sofrito
 * Six tablespoons of oregano
 * Salt and pepper to taste
 * One can of tomato sauce
 * Four tablespoons of tomato paste
 * Six quarts of cold water
 * Four tablespoons of olive oil
 * Two tablespoons of white vinegar
 * One medium jar of Spanish olives

Directions

 * 1) Pour the four tablespoons of olive oil into a large pot, (Remember all the ingredients so please make sure it's large) and bring up to heat when it starts to smoke add the ham and Chorizo stir. You want it to get a golden brown in color. Once that's done add the cup of sofrito and keep stirring. When you see that it is beginning to bubble, stir in the tomato paste. This would be a good time to check the heat because you don't want this mixture to burn, so if you feel that it should lowered do it now.
 * 2) Once the tomato paste has blended into the mixture stir in the tomato sauce and allow it to blend into the mixture.
 * 3) This a good time to add the seasonings oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Allow for the oregano to work its magic and when your kitchen starts giving off aromas like it never did before turn up the heat and add three quarts of water.
 * 4) Add soup meat, chicken and ribs bring to a boil for about fifteen minutes and then lower the heat down to a simmer.
 * 5) When the chicken is just about fork tender remove from pot and set aside. Do the same with the soup meat and the ribs.
 * 6) Return enough soup meat to the pot so that when shredded it will make about one half cup.
 * 7) Allow the soup meat to cook until it is soft enough to shred and then remove and set aside.
 * 8) In a small frying pan add two tablespoons of olive oil and bring up to heat. Add two tablespoons of sofrito and about six or seven chopped up olives add the shredded soup meat and blend together. Add salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat and set aside.
 * 9) At this time you can add the vegetables to the pot with the broth. Add all but four plantains and allow to simmer slowly on low heat. This would be a good time to check to see if you have enough liquid if not add more water.
 * 10) Take the four plantains you have left and grate them. It is important that you use a grater for this part of the recipe, because using a blender will not cut it.
 * 11) Once you have grated the plantains scoop up a large table spoon of the mixture and place it in the palm of your clean hands. Form a small pocket and add a teaspoon or a little more of the shredded soup meat mixture in the center of the pocket, and then form it into the shape of a ball.
 * 12) Making sure that your pot is at a low boil, add the balls to the pot being careful that they do not break apart.
 * 13) Once the vegetables are almost fork tender return the meat that was set aside and continue cooking. Allow to cook until you have a rich thick broth, at this time you can adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Enjoy and please let me know what you thought of this dish.