Peas are a common addition to chairo.
Originally from the La Paz region of Bolivia, chairo is a Bolivian stew made with meat and vegetables. The chairo, which literally means “soup”, consists of two types of meat and generally uses native vegetables from the Andes region. Traditionally, this stew was served in clay dishes.
Chairo is most often prepared with pork, although beef, sometimes on the bone, can also be used. The second type of meat included is always a type of sheep meat called chalona. The chalona is dry and salty and is usually soaked before being used in the chairo.
Fresh oregano can be added as a garnish to the chairo.
The chuño is another basic ingredient of the chairo. A type of potato flour, chuño is usually frozen and always soaked for up to ten hours before use. If the chuño is not soaked long enough, it can make the stew more bitter. Wheat flour is also included in this stew.
In addition to flour, potatoes and carrots are usually included. Potatoes and carrots are cut into strips before cooking. Corn, usually white or a freeze-dried corn called mote, is also a frequent addition. Green and white onions, broad beans, parsley and peas are also often added to this dish.
The chairo is generally well seasoned. In addition to salt and pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano, and mint leaves can be added during cooking. Mint and oregano can also be added as a garnish to the finished dish.
Mint leaves can be added to the chairo.
When making chairo, the meat is boiled in water or broth for about an hour before anything else is added. Sometimes the vegetables can be fried with the seasonings in the oil before they are added to the pot. Most of the time, however, many of the vegetables and seasonings are placed directly into the pot after the meat is boiled. Let the mixture cook before adding the chuño. Finally, it includes corn and flour.
The entire mixture is boiled one last time before serving. Chairo is not an exceptionally thick stew. Because it is boiled for so long, much of the water contained in the meat evaporates during cooking. For this reason, it is often necessary to add water at least once during cooking to prevent the chairo from thickening too much.
When the chairo finishes cooking, it is placed in bowls and decorated. In addition to mint and oregano, you can also add parsley or chives as a garnish. While not traditional, grated or grated cheese can also be sprinkled on top.