Puerto Rican cuisine is interwoven with West African, Spanish, and indigenous Taíno foods and cooking methods. Learning more about each of these influences has inherently shaped and strengthened my connection to my ancestors in and out of the kitchen. This particular recipe is a dish that shares many similarities between both my birthplace and my hometown and the cultures that make them special.

Growing up on James Island, there were many days of hanging out at friends’ houses when I would be sent home with a plate of food for my mom, most notably okra soup and rice. Thinking about how important okra is to the South, its foodways, and its connection to the African diaspora, stewed okra and tomatoes spooned over white rice is a quintessential Charleston and Gullah Geechee dish (more-so than shrimp and grits in my opinion).

Okra soup is special to Charleston, its people, and to me. You can read more about okra soup and try out the recipe in the linked New York Times Magazine column by Amethyst Ganaway and Samin Nosrat (which I am so excited and proud about! So dope to see fellow Charleston lady chef friends like Amethyst making moves!). Living here in Charleston and staying as an adult has definitely molded my outlook and appreciation for humble foods in both Puerto Rican and Gullah Geechee cuisines; something which I take pride in making and sharing with others.

In Puerto Rico, the word for okra in Spanish is quimbombó. What’s most interesting about this particular dish is just how eerily similar it is to the okra soup I grew up eating, with just a slight change in the ingredients used, like sofrito, annatto oil, and other spices. Otherwise? It’s the same: tomatoes, okra, and smoked meat spooned over white rice. Learning more about dishes that are shared between Puerto Rican and Gullah Geechee cuisines of Charleston (and the surrounding coastal areas) really cemented my love for exploring the cultural aspect and impact of food, how important foodways are to maintaining a sense of identity, and appreciating my heritage and its varied background.

Making this dish was definitely a special experience for me because it reminded me of my late paternal grandmother when I was cooking everything down and serving the bowls. After I sent some photos to my Dad he mentioned that she was with me in the kitchen that day. I agreed. Okra is definitely on the scale of love it or hate it with most people, but I definitely love okra. I don’t mind the sliminess, it’s what makes bomb-ass stews and gumbos. And when they’re roasted until they’re golden and crisp? Oh my goodness. The best. Okra chips? Sign me up! My love of okra runs deep so no, this dish can’t be made without okra: it’s stewed okra. Sorry, haha! And you can omit the smoked meat if you want, but honestly, the smokiness is top notch when it comes to developing extra flavor. This is a low and slow stew, so prepare for your house to smell amazing while it simmers. Let’s get cooking!

Quimbombó Guisado

Serves: 6-8

Cook time: 1 hour

3 tbsp annatto oil (see note)

1/4 cup Simple Sofrito

5 large beefsteak tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks

1 tbsp sazón spice blend (recipe available in mini e-book or substitute another brand)

Kosher salt, to taste

Cracked black pepper, to taste

5 culantro leaves, thinly sliced (a handful of rinsed and chopped cilantro can be substituted here)

1 smoked neck bone or ham hock (optional)

Sugar or honey, as needed

1 16oz bag frozen cut okra (see note)

White rice, for serving

Note: the annatto oil recipe is from mini e-book. You can substitute a neutral cooking oil like canola and just add a little extra sazón as needed. As for the okra, I prefer fresh, but when I made this particular recipe, there wasn’t any decent fresh okra available at my local grocery store (it usually sells out during the summer) so I had to use frozen okra because I wasn’t making multiple trips outside during the pandemic. If you’re going to use fresh, just cut the same amount of fresh okra and slice it into small uniform pieces.

In a large pot over medium heat, add the annatto oil and sauté the sofrito until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and season with the sazón, a large pinch of kosher salt, and some cracked black pepper to taste. Cook the tomatoes down for about 10-15 minutes, using the back of a spoon to smash and break them down a bit. They’re going to release a lot of liquid and this is what’s going to make this stew saucy. If for some reason you don’t have a good amount of tomato sauce cooked down, just add a little water as needed.

Turn the heat down to medium low, add in the culantro leaves and neck bone to the tomatoes, and let them stew together for at least 30 minutes with the lid slightly askew on the pot. Adjust seasoning with kosher salt, black pepper, and sugar or honey if needed to balance out some sweetness in the sauce.

Fold in the frozen okra and cook until the okra is tender and soft, about 15-20 minutes. If you’re using fresh okra, this timeframe should be the same. You can cook it longer if you like, I don’t mind the slight mushiness and extra slime the okra omits the longer it cooks. It tightens up the stew as well.

Serve immediately with cooked white rice. If you have any leftovers, they taste even better the next day! I dropped off a large container of this for my mom and she completely crushed it.

¡Buen provecho!