Green Beans Stew / Snijboonchi Stobá

Information

Snijboonchi Stobá, or Curaçao-Style Green Bean Stew, is a traditional Curaçao dish made with green beans, salted meat, pork tail, potatoes, vegetables and seasonings. The salted meats are soaked beforehand to remove excess salt, then slowly cooked until tender before the vegetables are added. The result is a hearty, savory Caribbean stew traditionally served with rice or funchi.

Ingredients

• 2 cans green beans
• 1 lb salted beef
• 1 lb pork tail
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ onion
• ½ bell pepper
• ½ tomato
• 3 potatoes
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon annatto (achiote), for color

Preparation

1. The night before preparing the Snijboonchi Stobá, cut the salted beef and pork tail into pieces and place them in water to soak.
2. Cover the meat completely with enough water and allow it to soak overnight to remove excess salt.
3. When ready to cook, rinse the meat two or three times. Place it in a pot with the garlic and enough fresh water to cover the meat by approximately three finger-widths.
4. Boil the meat until it begins to become tender.
5. Add a little more water if necessary. Add the green beans, potatoes, onion, bell pepper, tomato and butter. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon.
6. Add the annatto to give the stew a little color. Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender and the green beans are fully cooked.
7. Serve the Snijboonchi Stobá hot with rice or traditional Curaçao funchi.