On the Menu: Locra with Chipas

Truth be told, it took a bit of searching to find an Argentinian meal with beans in it. (And in the picture it looks kind of like fassolatha, doesn't it? I promise it isn't!)

Locro is traditionally made with meat (beef or pork), corn, and other vegetables. It can be made with beans, squash, and onions as well. This soup is an exception to our usual vegetarian bean dish, as I made it with some pork shoulder I had in the freezer and some chorizo I bought at the store.

Another interesting component in this dish is hominy. We don't eat much hominy in our household - mostly because I don't have many recipes that include it - but the boys were quite taken with the soup, hominy and all. Even Balin, our pickiest eater, liked it.

The chipas is a bread made from mostly tapioca flour and cheese. It has a light, airy texture and complimented the hearty Locro nicely.

Locra (original recipe here)
Serves 12

1 cup dried small lima beans
1 cup dried chickpeas
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 1" cubes
12 oz chorizo, sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf
10 cups water
1 small acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 28 oz can hominy (white or yellow)
juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tbs)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1. Soak beans for 8 hours or overnight; drain.
2. Heat olive oil in large pot. When oil is hot, add pork in batches, cooking until browned. Season well with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add chorizo and cook until fat renders. Add garlic and onion. Cook until soft.
4. Add tomato paste, oregano, cumin, and bay leaf. Return meat to pan with lima beans, chickpeas, squash and 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cook until beans are tender, about 1 hour.
5. Add hominy and lemon. Heat through. Serve immediately sprinkled with green onions.

Chipas (original recipe here)
Makes approximately 15 rolls

1 egg
2/3 cup milk
6 oz Italian cheese, finely shredded
3 tbs butter, melted
1 3/4 cups tapioca flour
1 cup self-rising flour (or 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/4 baking powder)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet and set aside.
2. Stir together egg, milk, cheese, and butter in a large bowl. Sprinkle in tapioca flour and self-rising flour; mix to form a dough. Knead for about 2 minutes, then roll into golf-ball sized pieces.
3. Place onto the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.