Lenox’s Sancocho

“Sancocho is the kind of food that tells stories through flavor,” says chef Jhonny Reyes of Lenox in Seattle, one of our Best New Restaurants for 2025. “For us, it’s a Sunday afternoon at abuela’s, the smell of garlic and culantro in the air, kids running around, and someone always going back for seconds.”

Sancocho recipes vary based on who’s cooking it and whether you’re tasting it in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, or elsewhere. At Lenox, Reyes traces his family’s path from San Juan to New York City to Seattle, always staying rooted in the Afro-Caribbean and Latin American food traditions of his ancestors. And, while the flavorful beef stew can be made with any kind of stew meat, Reyes builds his version on a base of short ribs marinated in homemade sofrito.

Root vegetables are a common addition: You’ll find versions with sweet potatoes, taro, yam, yuca, and more, alongside hearty vegetables like kabocha squash, calabaza (pumpkin), or corn on the cob. This Puerto Rican sancocho recipe features a hearty combination, but feel free to mix and match as you please. Once everything hits the pot, let it lazily bubble away on the stovetop. Short ribs need a long cooking time to break down their connective tissue—don’t rush it! To check if they’re done, remove one from the pot to test if it’s fork-tender. If the meat falls off the bone easily, it’s ready. The finished stew is delicious served with white rice, but it’s just as good with nothing more than a showering of cilantro. To reheat leftovers, warm gently over low heat.

Chef’s note: A good hard sear on the short ribs will add invaluable flavor to your final stew, but make sure to brush off any excess sofrito that might be clinging to them first. Forgoing this step will result in unwanted burnt bits speckled throughout the dish.