Venezuela | Pabellón Criollo
Though the country of Venezuela has faced political corruption since its formation in 1830, it is home to many incredible flavors and dishes. The country relies mostly on their petroleum and gold exports and is not known to have a large market in agricultural, but their food traditions and rituals are anything but dying — getting cooking influence from European, indigenous, and African nations. A large portion of the food eaten are roots and vegetables (yams, yucca, plantains, rice and beans) along with a large consumption of beef.
The people of Venezuela also have a large sweet tooth which they implement in their many traditional desserts like cachitos (stuffed croissants), Huevos Chimpos (egg yolk in sugar syrup), or binmesabe (sponge cake in coconut milk). So if you are going to cook Pabellón for the family, consider preparing one of these traditional desserts to enjoy afterwards if you have extra space in your stomach.
I was looking for a cheap meal to make this week due to my lack of funds (since I am a college student — that should speak for itself) and I saw this recipe for Pabellón Criollo that consisted mostly of rice, beans, and plantains. The only real expense here is the beef, but for the flavors that come out of this dish, you are getting quite the experience for a small price. This dish, being the sixteenth I have done for the project, jumps to number one. The tenderness of the meat with the pungent sauce it cooks in had me going back for a third and fourth plate.
Ingredients Needed:
Shredded meat
1 flank steak, approximately 2 lbs
6 to 8 cups beef flavored broth
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
1 cup green pepper, chopped into small cubes
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
Black beans
1/2 cup corn oil (I just used vegetable oil)
1 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 can black beans
Salt to taste
Fried plantains
1 cup oil for frying
2 ripe, peeled and chopped, sliced bananas
2-4 cups white rice, cooked to your liking
Cooking Instructions:
Shredded beef:
Cut the steak into 4 pieces.
Place the broth into a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef at first boil and let cook for 15 minutes. Test the seasoning and alter the salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let cook for about 2 hours or until the meet is completely cooked and tender. Keep an eye on the meat to prevent it from soaking up all the broth and add more as it becomes necessary. When the meat is ready, remove it from the pot carefully and leave on a dish to cool. Save the broth, about 3-4 cups of broth.
Once the meat is cold enough, shred it with the help of two forks or your hands.
Add the oil to a medium pan and let cook a bit. Sauté the onions and pepper for 3-5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and let sauté for one more minute. Incorporate the shredded chicken to the mixture and mix well.
Mix the tomato paste, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and oregano in with the beef stew; mix well until everything is well combined. Add this mixture to the meat and mix well. Add the bay leaves, cover and let cook for 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Black beans:
Place the oil, onion and garlic in a blender. Mix at medium velocity until everything is well combined.
Sauté the onions and garlic for 3 minutes in a large saucepan over medium heat, stir constantly. Add the can of black beans and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Cover and cook on low for 15 to 20 minutes.
Fried plantains:
Add oil to a medium pan and heat. When the oil is hot, fry the plantains in batches of 5 for 2-3 minutes on each side or until they're softened and browned. Remove from the pan carefully and place over paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Serve: Add a generous amount of shredded beef to a dish, then rice, beans and fried plantains. Serve hot.
Recipe by: Que Rica Vida