Suburban Chocolomo
Chocolomo·(cho-ko-LO-mo)
Monday Night Comforts: Slow-Simmered Yucatecan Stews
In the Yucatán, Chocolomo is a restorative, slow-simmered weekend ritual born of the bullfights and built to cure the sins of Saturday night. The old-school grandmas utilized every piece of the cow to ensure nothing went to waste, but this adaptation is built for the American weeknight. By leaning hard on marrow bones and chuck roast, and honoring the non-negotiable ancestral char of the aromatics, you get the exact soul-warming, mint-laced broth of Mérida without needing to source fresh kidney on a Tuesday. It is a clear, clean soup meant to be heavily fortified at the table with crunch, acid, and heat.
Before you start
Prepare the Salpicón de rábano.
While the stew simmers, mix the diced radishes, minced red onion, chopped cilantro, and bitter orange juice in a small bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and let it sit for at least 15 minutes so the acid lightly pickles the vegetables.
Ingredients
- beef chuck roast2 lb
- beef marrow bones1 1/2 lb
- white onion1 large
- head of garlic1 large
- water8 cup
- spearmint leaves10 med
- fresh cilantro1 small bunch
- Mexican oregano1 tsp
- whole black peppercorns1 tsp
- whole allspice berries4 med
- habanero pepper1 whole
- banana pepper1 med
- zucchini1 med
- kosher salt1 1/2 tbsp
- radishes1 bunch
- red onion1/2 med
- fresh cilantro1/2 cup
- bitter orange juice1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Aggressively char the onion and garlic in a dry skillet.
Heat a dry cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place the onion and garlic halves cut-side down directly on the metal and leave them entirely alone for 5 to 8 minutes until heavily blackened. This ancestral technique, el tatemado, is the smoky backbone of the broth.
- 02
Boil the meat and bones, meticulously skimming the impurities.
In a large Dutch oven, bring the beef chuck, marrow bones, and water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Skim off the grey foam that rises to the top with a fine mesh skimmer—take your time here, as a clear broth is a clean broth.
- 03
Simmer the charred aromatics and spices.
Once the broth is clear, drop in the blackened onion and garlic along with the peppercorns, allspice, Mexican oregano, and kosher salt. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
- 04
Steep the fresh herbs and peppers without overwhelming the dish.
Add the whole habanero, banana pepper, fresh mint, and the bunch of cilantro. Cover and simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes to extract their delicate volatile oils. Do not break the habanero skin, or the heat will overpower the entire pot.
- 05
Finish with the squash until perfectly tender.
Gently stir in the zucchini chunks and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. The stew is ready when the squash is soft and the beef chuck shreds easily with a fork.
- 06
Strain the broth and serve the Yucatecan way.
Carefully remove and discard the spent onion, garlic, herb stems, and whole peppers. Ladle the clear broth, meat, and squash into deep bowls, passing the Salpicón de rábano at the table so everyone can dress their own bowl.
Notes
Sourcing bitter orange.
If you cannot find bottled naranja agria at your local Latin market, do not stress. Substitute with equal parts fresh orange juice and lime juice to hit the precise acidic resonance required for the garnish.
The weeknight pressure cooker shortcut.
Char the aromatics directly in an Instant Pot on Sauté mode, then add the meat, bones, spices, and water. Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes, quick release, skim the fat, add the herbs and squash, and simmer on Sauté for 10 minutes.