Locro (Argentine-Style Hominy Stew)

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried lima beans
• 1 cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 18 cups water, divided
• 1 large yellow onion
• 8 cloves garlic, divided
• 1 small acorn squash
• 2 (3 oz) packages cured chorizo
• 1 lb veal (or chuck) shoulder
• 1 lb pork shoulder
• ¾ cup olive oil, divided
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 (15.5 oz) cans hominy
• 1 lemon, for juice
• 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 oz sliced green onions

Steps

1. Rinse lima beans and chickpeas. Place in large bowl and cover with 8 cups water. Soak 8 hours (or overnight); drain.
2. Chop yellow onion coarsely (2 cups) and chop garlic finely (3 tablespoons). Peel squash, cut in half, and remove seeds; cut into small cubes (3 cups). Cut chorizo into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Cut veal and pork into 1-inch cubes (wash hands).
3. Preheat large, heavy-bottomed stockpot (or 8-quart Dutch oven) on medium-high 3–4 minutes. Place ¼ cup oil in pot; season veal and pork with pepper and 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Place veal and pork (in batches) in even layer in pot; cook 3–4 minutes, turning occasionally, or until browned. Remove meat from pot and set aside; repeat with remaining veal and pork.
4. Add chorizo to same pot; cook and stir 3 minutes. Add yellow onions and 2 tablespoons garlic; cook and stir 3–4 minutes or until onions are tender. Add tomato paste, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in lima beans, chickpeas, veal, and pork. Add remaining 10 cups water; bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 2 hours. Drain and rinse hominy; squeeze lemon for juice (2 tablespoons). Add hominy and squash to pot; cook 25–30 minutes, or until squash and beans are tender and pork and veal are 145°F.
6. Combine paprika, red pepper flakes, and remaining ½ cup oil and 1 tablespoon garlic; whisk to blend. Stir lemon juice into pot. Serve stew topped with green onions and drizzled with pepper flake oil.