Yahuarlocro

Yahuarlocro is a quintessential Andean soup from Quito that marries tender offal with creamy potato, perfumed spices, and a dramatic, savory topping of crisped blood sausage or golden-fried crumbles of coagulated blood. Its name hints at its soul: “yahuar” (blood) and “locro” (stew), a heritage dish that grew from highland cooking traditions where nothing from the animal was wasted, and where cooks coaxed comfort and depth from simple pantry staples like cumin, oregano, and sunny achiote oil. In the bowl, the starch of the potato naturally thickens the broth, beef tripe brings a gentle chew and savor, and a finishing swirl of warm milk with crumbles of queso fresco yields a velvety, subtly rich texture. Serve it with fresh avocado, chopped cilantro, bright tomato, and a squeeze of lime to balance the hearty stew with crisp, green lift.

Ingredients

• 2 lb potato, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
• 1 lb beef tripe, thoroughly cleaned
• 6 cups beef stock
• 1 large white onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tbsp achiote oil
• 1 cup warm milk
• 6 oz queso fresco, crumbled (plus extra for serving)
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced for serving
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 8 oz blood sausage, casing removed
• OR 8 oz coagulated blood, diced
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• green onion, thinly sliced (for garnish)
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Prep the offal base: Rinse the beef tripe well. In a pot, combine the beef tripe with a portion of the beef stock, a handful of chopped white onion, and a few slices of garlic. Simmer gently until the beef tripe is tender to your liking, then cool slightly and cut it into small, bite-size pieces.
2. Build the refrito: In a heavy pot, warm the achiote oil. Add the remaining chopped white onion and cook, stirring, until translucent. Stir in the minced garlic, the cumin, and the oregano; season with a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper until fragrant.
3. Simmer the starch: Add the chopped potato to the pot and stir to coat in the refrito. Pour in the remaining beef stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the potato is soft enough to mash along the sides of the pot; mash a portion of the potato directly into the broth to thicken, leaving plenty of pieces intact for texture.
4. Fold in the offal: Add the diced beef tripe to the pot and let it mingle with the thickened potato base. Taste and adjust with more salt and black pepper as needed.
5. Finish with dairy: Lower the heat, then gently stir in the warm milk. Sprinkle in most of the queso fresco and stir until it softens into the soup. Keep a handful of queso fresco for serving.
6. Make the topping: For a classic finish, heat the vegetable oil in a skillet. Crumble the blood sausage into the pan and cook, stirring, until crisp edges form, then set aside. If using coagulated blood instead, fry the diced coagulated blood in the vegetable oil until browned and crusty on the outside. Quickly sauté some sliced green onion in the same pan to soften and sweeten.
7. Fresh garnish: In a small bowl, combine the diced tomato, a spoonful of chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and a tiny pinch of salt. This bright relish balances the rich stew.
8. Serve: Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Top with the crisped blood sausage or fried coagulated blood, some sautéed green onion, and the tomato–herb relish. Add slices of avocado and a scattering of queso fresco. Finish with more chopped cilantro and a final squeeze of lime.

How to Enjoy

Enjoy Yahuarlocro piping hot, letting the creamy base of potato and the savor of beef tripe play against the crunchy richness of the blood sausage or the crisped coagulated blood. Keep wedges of lime at the table to brighten each spoonful, and don’t skip the cool, buttery contrast of avocado. A sprinkle of extra queso fresco, a handful of chopped cilantro, and a dusting of black pepper tailor the bowl to your taste. If the stew thickens as it stands, loosen it with a splash of warm milk or a ladle of hot beef stock, then recheck salt and black pepper.

Tips and Notes

• Tenderness: Properly cooking the beef tripe until tender before it goes into the stew yields the best texture; let it simmer gently and unhurried.
• Color and aroma: Blooming spices in achiote oil gives the stew its signature hue and warmth; avoid scorching the garlic.
• Toppings: Whether you choose blood sausage or coagulated blood, fry in vegetable oil until crisp for the essential textural contrast.
• Finishing: Stirring in warm milk and softening queso fresco at the end keeps the soup silky; add more salt and black pepper only after tasting.