Cuban Ajiaco Soup with Root Vegetables and Mixed Meat

Ingredients:

• 225 g of chicken pieces
• 225g dried beef (tasayo), cut into 4 pieces, soak overnight, drain
• 340 g chorizo ​​sausage, sliced ​​1 cm thick
• 450 g of beef cut into 4 cm pieces for stewing (inner part of the back cut, shoulder, neck, rump)
• 450 g of pork, cut into 4 cm pieces, for stewing
• 2 tbsp. lard
• 7 liters of water
• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves of garlic

Sauce:

• 1 large green pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1 can (425 g) of tomato sauce
• 2.5 tbsp. salt

Vegetables:

• 2 ears of corn, cut into 3-4 equal pieces
• 1 ripe plantain, peeled and cut lengthwise into green bean shapes
• 1/2 pumpkin, peeled and chopped
• 450 g diced cassava
• 450 g sweet potatoes, diced
• 225 g white yams (white sweet potatoes), diced
• 2 peeled green plantains (whole)
• Juice of 1 lime

Preparation:

1. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil.
   
   In a large skillet, sauté the onion, garlic, chicken pieces, beef jerky, chorizo, and fresh pork and beef pieces in lard until the onions are caramelized and the meat is cooked through.
   
   Carefully transfer the contents of the pan to a saucepan of boiling water. Simmer for an hour, skimming off any foam occasionally.
2. In the same large frying pan, sauté the green pepper in tomato sauce until soft, add salt.
   
   Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and place them in a large pot of simmering broth. Add the sauce, cover, and simmer over low heat for 5-10 minutes.
   
   Remove the whole plantains and simmer the soup for another 50 minutes. Slice the plantains into 1 cm thick rounds, sprinkle them with fresh lime juice, and return them to the soup while it simmers for the final 50 minutes. Serve immediately.