Frangollo is a typical stew from Salta, related to locro but lighter: it’s made with crushed corn instead of whole cracked corn, and its ingredients are cut into smaller pieces than its better-known cousin.
It’s traditionally finished with chopped scallion and a red oil called “fritanga,” made from melted fat and paprika, added right before serving.
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Salta Style Corn Stew
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Argentine
Ingredients
Nutrition
- Calories: 340
Ingredients
- 400 g of crushed corn, soaked (about 14 oz)
- 500 g of yellow squash, in pieces (about 1.1 lb)
- 400 g of beef tripe or shank with bone marrow (about 14 oz)
- 2 tablespoons of rendered beef fat
- 1 of onion, finely chopped
- to taste of salt, cumin, and paprika
- 2 liters of boiling water (about 8.5 cups)
- 1 of scallion, chopped (for serving) (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of melted rendered fat (for the fritanga) (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of paprika (for the fritanga) (optional)
- to taste of crushed red pepper (for the fritanga, optional) (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the fat, in a large pot, melt the rendered fat.
- Brown the onion, add the finely chopped onion and let it brown.
- Season, add salt, cumin, and paprika, mixing well.
- Add water, stir in the two liters of boiling water.
- Add corn, meat, and squash, drain the soaked corn and add it to the pot along with the meat and half the squash.
- Cook, simmer for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon so it doesn’t stick.
- Make the fritanga, in a separate pan, melt the rendered fat and mix with paprika and crushed red pepper if using.
- Serve, serve the frangollo piping hot, topped with chopped scallion and a drizzle of fritanga.
Tips for getting it right
- Soaking the crushed corn ahead of time helps it cook evenly along with the rest of the ingredients.
- Stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon keeps the stew from sticking to the bottom of the pot during the long cook.
- The fat-and-paprika fritanga is a traditional finishing touch: don’t skip it if you want the authentic flavor.
- If you can’t find tripe or bone-marrow shank, you can adapt the recipe with another stewing cut of beef.
Traditional variations
- Some families add the rest of the squash near the end of cooking, instead of all at once from the start.
- The amount of crushed red pepper in the fritanga is also adjusted according to each household’s taste.
How to serve
Frangollo is served piping hot, in individual bowls, as a main dish.
It’s a typical dish of Salta, perfect for the cold days of northwestern Argentina.
Recommended sides
- Crusty bread
- Red wine
- Extra fritanga
Did you know?
Frangollo is considered part of the same family of stews as locro, but with a lighter preparation and ingredients cut into smaller pieces.
Fritanga, a red oil made from melted fat and paprika, is a distinctive element added right before serving to enhance the stew’s flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frangollo is made with crushed corn instead of whole cracked corn, and its ingredients are cut into smaller pieces, resulting in a lighter stew than locro.
It's a red oil made from melted rendered fat, paprika, and optionally crushed red pepper, added right before serving to add flavor and color.
Tripe or bone-marrow shank is recommended, though it can be adapted with another stewing cut of beef if those aren't available.
Pre-soaking helps the crushed corn cook evenly along with the rest of the ingredients during the hour and a half of cooking.
