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Pabellon Criollo
Pabellon Criollo
Pabellon criollo is a traditional Venezuelan dish consisting of beans, rice, and steak. It is served on a platter; arranged to resemble a flag representing Indigenous, African, and European culinary influences.
Ingredients
Venezuelan Steak
- 1 1/2 lbs flank steak
- 2 beef bouillon cubes
- 3 cups water
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 2 roma tomatoes diced
Beans
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 can black beans
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp vinegar
Rice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tbsp onion finely chopped
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups water
Instructions
Rice
- Sauté the onions and garlic for 3 minutes.
- Add in the rice, water, and salt. Simmer for 15 minutes over medium heat. Set aside.
Beans
- Heat up cooking oil in a pot over medium high heat. Sauté the onions and garlic for 3 minutes.
- Add in the beans, water, bouillon, vinegar, and cumin.
- Simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat until the liquid has reduced. Season with salt.
Venezuelan Steak
- Dissolve the beef bouillon in a pot of water. Add in the flank steak and garlic. Simmer for 90 minutes. Save the reserved beef stock.
- Chop the flank into pieces.
- Sauté the onions in the butter over medium high heat for 5 minutes.
- Add in the flank and tomatoes.
- Simmer for 5 minutes with 1/2 cup of the reserved beef stock.
Avocado Chicken Salad
Avocado Chicken Salad
Avocado chicken salad is a popular filling for arepas in Venezuela. You can use leftover roast chicken to make the salad or poach your own chicken breasts. Everything gets mixed together in a bowl and is ready that quick.
Ingredients
Poached Chicken
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1/2 small onion
- 5 peppercorns
- 3 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pinch salt
Avocado Chicken Salad
- 2 avocados ripened
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 red bell pepper finely chopped
- 3 tbsp white onion finely chopped
- 3 tbsp cilantro chopped
- 1 jalapeños seeded; finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Add the onion, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaf, and salt to a pot of water. Bring to a boil.
- Add in the chicken breast. Simmer for 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Cool and chop.
- Mash the avocado with the lime juice in a large bowl.
- Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Chill until ready for use.
Oxtail Stew
Oxtail Stew
Oxtail stew is an extremely popular Jamaican comfort food that deserves more recognition than it gets. Oxtails we’re once considered a cheap throw away cut that was eaten by lower income families. Now days, oxtails are kinda expensive. The tails of cows contains gelatinous meat with marrow running through the center. Once braised, the meat falls off the bone. This dish can be prepared on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, and even a pressure cooker if you’re pressed for time. If you can’t find oxtails, beef short ribs are a suitable replacement.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 lbs oxtails
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 2 habanero
- 4 green onions chopped
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 6 allspice berries
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 can butter beans
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat up cooking oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown the oxtails for 8 minutes.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients except the butter beans. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 3 hours.
- Uncover. Stir in the butter beans. Simmer for 30 more minutes.
