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Chugchucaras

Name: Chugchucaras
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces; 2 cups cooked mote (hominy), warm; 3 yellow potatoes, boiled and halved; 2 ripe plantains, peeled and sliced on the diagonal; 1 cup tostado corn; 1/2 cup popcorn; 1 red onion, thinly sliced; 2 tomatoes, sliced; 1/4 cup fresh lime juice; 2 tbsp achiote oil; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 cup ají (Ecuadorian hot sauce), for serving

Latacunga’s legendary platter: crispy fritada pork, mote, potatoes, maduro, tostado, and popcorn, all on one glorious plate.

⏱ 30 minPrep time

🔥 45 minCook time

🍽 4Servings

🏷 DinnerCategory

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Chugchucaras is the defining dish of Latacunga, a market-town feast where crispy fried pork is piled onto a platter with hominy, boiled potatoes, sweet plantain, toasted corn, and popcorn. The name is onomatopoeic — echoing the crunching sound of eating — and the plate is a walk through Ecuador’s pantry all at once.

A whole market on one plate

Every element earns its place: salty, crackling pork against soft mote, creamy potatoes, caramel-sweet maduro, and the double crunch of tostado and popcorn. A spoonful of sharp curtido and a hit of ají tie it all together in a riot of textures.

Ecuadorian recipes →

Step by stepInstructions

Make the curtido: soak the sliced onion in the lime juice with a pinch of salt for 15 minutes, then add the tomato slices.
Season the pork with the salt, cumin, and garlic, then fry it in batches in the achiote oil over medium-high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until deeply browned and cooked through; set aside.
In the same pan, fry the plantain slices for 2 to 3 minutes per side until caramelized and golden.
Warm the cooked mote and potatoes in the same pan or in the microwave.
Assemble each plate: mound the pork in the center and surround it with mote, potatoes, maduro, tostado, and popcorn.
Top with the curtido and serve the ají on the side.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Everything should be warm when it hits the plate — this is a build-your-own-plate feast, so lay it out family style. The pork keeps 3 days and the rest of the components reheat in minutes.

Recipe details

Prep30 min

Cook45 min

Servings4

CategoryDinner

PublishedAugust 17, 2026

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

Chugchucaras

A whole market on one plate

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💡 Chef tips & storage

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Chugchucaras

A whole market on one plate

Step by stepInstructions

💡 Chef tips & storage

Rate this recipe

Recipe details

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

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