Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is the second largest and most diverse Caribbean country, sharing a border with Haiti. The Turks and Caicos Islands are located 145 km to the north, with Colombia about 500 km to the south. Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, the Dominican Republic boasts 1,609 km of coastline, 402 km of pristine beaches, as well as beautiful mountain ranges.
The country boasts both the highest and lowest elevations in the West Indies. The island stretches over an area of 48,310 km. Spanish is the official language, although English is spoken by some people due to immigration from the United States, whilst Haiitan immigrants speak a French Creole.
Australia and the Dominican Republic established diplomatic relations on 22 April 1997. Australia has an Honorary Consul in Santo Domingo, with the Ambassador to Mexico City holding non-resident accreditation to the Dominican Republic. There is a Dominican Republic Consulate located in Adelaide. Both countries are members of the World Bank, IMF, World Trade Organisation (WTO) and United Nations (UN).
Capital: Santo Domingo
Population: 11,009,862
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): 78.84 billion US dollars (2020)
Did you know?
From 1916-24, the United States forces occupied the Dominican Republic following internal unrest
Santo Domingo, the capital city of the Dominican Republic is the oldest European settlement in the Americas
There are 3,650 Australian residents of Dominican Republic descent and 5 students from the Dominican Republic studying in Australia.
Recipe - Sancocho Dominicano
Preparation Time: 25 Minutes
Cooking Time: 1 Hour
Total Time: 1 Hour 25 Minutes
Ingredients:
1 pound beef for stews, flank, chuck, or round [0.45 kg] cut into small pieces
1 pound goat meat, [0.45 kg] cut into small pieces
1 pound pork for stews, belly, or chump end [0.45 kg] cut into small pieces
Juice of two limes
1 teaspoons cilantro or parsley, chopped
½ teaspoons oregano, powdered
1 teaspoons garlic, crushed
1½ teaspoons salt
4 tablespoon oil
1 pound chicken, [0.45 kg] cut into small pieces
1 pound pork ribs, [0.45 kg] cut into small pieces
1 pound bones from a smoked ham, [0.45 kg] cut into small pieces
1 pound pork sausage, longaniza [0.45 kg] cut into small pieces
2 corn cob, cut into ½-inch slices, optional
½ pound West Indian pumpkin , (auyama) cut into 1-inch pieces [0.23 kg]
3 unripe plantain, peeled, 2 cut into 1-inch pieces, one left whole
½ pound yam, (ñame) cut into 1-inch pieces [0.23 kg]
½ pound malanga, (yautia) cut into 1-inch pieces [0.23 kg]
½ pound yuca (cassava), cut into 1-inch pieces [0.23 kg]
Method:
Seasoning the meat: Place the beef, pork, and goat meat in a large bowl and season with lime juice, cilantro (or parsley), oregano, garlic, and a teaspoon of salt. Coat meat with the seasoning. Marinate for at least half an hour, better an hour.
Cooking the meat: In a large pot heat the oil over high heat, add the seasoned meats, and stir (be careful with hot oil splattering). Cook stirring until browned. Add the remaining meats and corn, and cook stirring for a couple of minutes.
Adding water: Lower heat to medium and pour ½ galon [2.5 lt] of water. Simmer until it breaks the boil.
Adding vegetables: Once the water breaks the boils, add auyama, chopped plantain, and root vegetables (ñame, yautía, yuca). Grate, or scrape with the knife the remaining plantain to make it into a pulp, add to the pot.
Cooking vegetables: Simmer covered over low heat until the last ingredients you added are cooked through, it should have thickened a bit too. If it dries too much, add water as necessary, or simmer uncovered to reduce if it is not thick enough for your taste.
Season with salt to taste. Remove from the heat.