Seco de Chivo (Ecuadorian Braised Goat Stew)

• 2 lb (900 g) goat meat in chunks, some pieces on the bone
• Lime juice: juice of 1 lime, to rinse the meat (rinsed off)
• a little oil for searing (about 2 tbsp)
• a little achiote oil (about 1 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• ¾ cup chopped green capsicum (bell pepper)
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• ground cumin to taste
• a pinch of dried oregano
• 1 cup tomato purée
• ¼ cup naranjilla (lulo) juice
• 2 cups beer (a barley-malt lager)
• ¼ cup coriander (cilantro), stems in the stew and leaves to finish

Method

The cook speaks Spanish; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.

1. Rinse the goat with lime juice and water, rinse again well, drain and pat it dry with a cloth so it sears properly. 0:11
2. Heat a little oil in a very hot heavy pan and sear the goat 3–4 minutes a side without moving it. Lift it out and set aside. 0:36
3. In the same pan, cook the achiote oil and garlic paste for a few minutes, then add the red onion, green capsicum and some of the chopped coriander and season with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Let the refrito cook down. 1:21
4. Stir in the tomato purée and naranjilla juice, then pour in the beer and let the alcohol bubble off. 1:57
5. Return the goat to the sauce, add the coriander stems and simmer gently until the meat is very tender and the sauce thick (goat usually needs 1½–2 hours). 2:13
6. Finish with chopped coriander leaves and serve. 2:56

Tip. Serves 4 (our estimate from 2 lb goat). Lamb works too. In Ecuador it comes with yellow rice, fried ripe plantain and avocado; avocado and a salad keep it lighter. No naranjilla? Use a little lime juice.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.