Locro (Argentine Corn, Bean & Meat Stew)
A thick, hearty Argentine stew built from hominy (white corn), beans, pork, beef and squash — a single-pot, full meal that feeds a crowd and gets better the next day.
AI image3 hr
start to finish
30 min
hands on
Some skill
difficulty
6
servings
Ingredients
Core
Aromatics & veg
Liquids & seasoning
Spices
Finish
Garnish (optional)
Contains egg. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.
Method
Soak the dried hominy and beans separately in cold water to cover by 2 inches. Leave to soak overnight (8–12 hours).
When ready to cook, drain and rinse the soaked hominy and beans. If using canned hominy/beans, drain and rinse them now and skip the soaking step.
Heat 1 tablespoon lard or oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Working in batches, dry the beef cubes on paper towels, then brown in the hot pot until well-seared on all sides. Transfer browned beef to a bowl.
Add the pork shoulder cubes to the pot and brown until nicely colored; transfer to the bowl with the beef.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon lard or oil and the sliced chorizo; cook 3–4 minutes until it releases fat and begins to brown. Transfer chorizo to the bowl with the meats (reserve pan fat).
Reduce heat to medium. Add the chopped onion to the pot and cook in the rendered fat until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Stir in the smoked paprika, cumin and oregano and cook 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
Return the browned beef and pork (leave chorizo out for now) to the pot. Add the soaked hominy, soaked beans, pumpkin cubes, bay leaves, stock and 2 cups water. Stir to combine.
Bring the stew to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low so it maintains a steady simmer. Cover partially and simmer until the hominy and beans are tender and the meat is very soft, 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. Stir every 20–30 minutes and add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
About 20 minutes before the end of cooking, add the browned chorizo back into the pot so it softens without disintegrating.
When hominy, beans and meats are tender, season with the salt and black pepper, taste and adjust.
Turn off the heat and let the locro rest, covered, 10 minutes to thicken and let flavors meld.
Serve hot in bowls, topped with quartered hard-boiled eggs and sliced scallions if using.
Worth knowing
- Short-cut with canned: If you used 3 cans hominy and 2 cans beans, reduce the covered simmer to 45–60 minutes — long enough for flavors to marry and pumpkin to soften.
- Make-ahead: Locro often tastes better the next day. Cool, refrigerate, then reheat gently over low heat, adding a splash of water or stock if too thick.
- Texture: Locro is traditionally thick; if you prefer a looser stew, add extra stock while simmering. If too thin near the end, remove the lid and simmer uncovered 10–15 minutes.
- Fat choice: Using lard gives a more traditional flavor; vegetable oil works fine for a leaner result.
- Spice: For a traditional 'manteca colorada' finish, warm 2 tbsp lard with 1 tsp smoked paprika and drizzle over each bowl before serving.
Make it yours
Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.
Gluten-freeMeal prepOne panBudget
More Argentine cooking
An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Argentine cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be gluten-free as listed.