Caribbean Style Sancocho - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 1 1/2 lbs beef short ribs or 1 1/2 lbs chicken, cut up
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1/3 cup green pepper, chopped
1/3 cup celery, chopped
1 aji bell peppers, seeded and minced (dulce) (optional)
5 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped (use the stems)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 quart beef stock
3 quarts chicken broth
1 green plantains or 1 yellow plantain, peeled and sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch rounds
1 sweet potatoes (or 1 batata, peeled and diced) or 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced (or 1 batata, peeled and diced)
3 1/2 cup yucca root, diced or 1/2 cup yautia, peeled and diced
1 chayote, peeled cored and diced
1 ear of corn, sliced crosswise into 6 rounds (so everyone gets one)

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium to low heat; add garlic, meat, and onions, cooking until meat is well browned and onions start to caramelize, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the green pepper, celery, aji dulce (if using), cilantro, salt, pepper, and beef stock; cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 1 hour (if using chicken you will not need to cook this long).
Add remaining ingredients and continue to cook until meat is tender and vegetables are soft, an additional 30 minutes.
NOTE: You may find the corn difficult to cut into rounds. What I do is cook it first either by boiling or in the microwave. This softens the cob so it is easier to cut. I add the corn at serving.