Seco de chivo

Seco de chivo is a stew of kid goat meat. The meat is first left to marinate in beer, chicha de jora, or naranjilla juice, an acidic Andean fruit, which softens the strong smell of goat and tenderizes the meat. Then it is slowly cooked with onion, garlic, bell pepper, tomato, cumin and lots of cilantro, until the sauce thickens.

The Ministry of Tourism’s gastronomic map lists seco de chivo as the dish of the province of Santa Elena, on the coast, and food fairs in the province present it as their representative dish.

The origin of the name is debated. The best-known version, told by cooks and researchers, says that in the early 20th century English workers in the peninsula’s oil fields asked for the second, the second course, and the word became seco; there is no document confirming this. Others see the dish as a derivation of the seco de cabrito from northern Peru.

Despite the name, seco is a saucy dish. There are secos made with chicken, beef and other meats, but the chivo version is the one most linked to the peninsula.

It is served with achiote yellow rice, fried ripe banana and slices of avocado. In the coastal version, the beer gives a more bitter flavor; in the highlands, the pot makes the sauce sweeter.