If using fresh whole cassava or yuca root, rinse them under clean water to remove any dirt.

Trim the edges. If you have very large roots, cut them into 2-3 pieces.

To peel the yuca, make a longitudinal shallow cut, just deep enough to pierce the skin layer, then gently use the knife to lift and remove the peel. The peel will have 2 layers, the thin born outer layer and a white or pink inner layer. Remove both. The fresher the yuca, the easier it will be to peel.

Remove any bits that have black dots on them, this means that the yuca no longer fresh and these sections will not cook properly.

You can keep the yuca in rounds or slice them lengthwise into halves or into quarters. Cutting the root into smaller and more narrow pieces will help it cook faster.

You can remove the inner core strings of the yuca while they are raw, however it is much easier to pull them out and remove them once the yuca is cooked.

To boil the yuca, add a good amount of water to a large pot and bring it to a boil. Add the peeled yuca pieces and salt. Boil the yuca for 20-30 minutes, younger yuca will be more tender and will cook faster, while older yuca will take longer.

If using frozen yuca, it will take 40-50 minutes for the yuca to fully cook.

The cooking time will also vary depending on how you are going to use the yuca. If you are serving it boiled as a side dish (with a sauce on top for example), then it should be tender, but not overly mushy.

If you are making yuca fries or grilling it, then you can parboil it until it just starts to soften, as you will finish cooking the fries in a pan or on the grill.

Once the yuca is done cooking, drain the water and use it as desired. For some dishes, you might use a bit of the water, so save it if needed. The water can also be used as a veggie broth base (it will have starch in it so it is perfect for soups).