A ceremonial Maya stew combining chicken, beef, and turkey in a deeply complex sauce of multiple dried chiles, toasted spices, and tomatoes, wrapped and steamed in banana leaves.
Ingredients
500g chicken pieces
300g beef stew meat, cubed
300g turkey pieces
4 dried guaque chiles
3 dried pasa chiles
4 Roma tomatoes
4 tomatillos, husked
1 onion, quartered
5 cloves garlic
2 tbsp pepitas, toasted
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
Banana leaves for wrapping
Salt
Instructions
1Toast all dried chiles on a comal until fragrant. Soak in hot water 20 min.
2Roast tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and garlic on the comal until well charred.
3Blend soaked chiles, roasted vegetables, pepitas, sesame seeds, cinnamon, and cloves with soaking liquid until very smooth.
4Combine all three meats in a large bowl. Pour sauce over and toss to coat evenly.
5Soften banana leaves over a flame. Place meat and sauce in large banana leaf parcels, wrapping tightly.
6Steam parcels for 2 hours until meats are very tender and sauce has thickened. Unwrap at the table.
Did You Know?
Subanik is considered the ultimate test of a Guatemalan Maya cook's abilities — the sauce requires perfect balance of at least five different chiles.