Pabellón Criollo

Pabellón Criollo

Venezuela's national dish: a generous plate of tender shredded beef, stewed black beans, and fluffy white rice, finished with sweet fried ripe plantain. The four components are served side by side so each one can shine on its own.

Prep

20 min

Cook

150 min

Total

170 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (1 lb 5 oz) beef chuck or brisket, well-marbled, for shredding
• •1 litre (4 cups) water, for cooking the beef
• •1 whole white onion, halved
• •2 whole garlic cloves, crushed
• •1 whole bay leaf
• •10 g (2 tsp) fine salt, plus more to taste
• •3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided use
• •1 whole white onion, finely chopped
• •1 whole red bell pepper, finely chopped
• •3 whole garlic cloves, minced
• •2 g (1 tsp) ground cumin
• •1 g (½ tsp) dried oregano, preferably Venezuelan
• •240 g (1 cup) dried black beans, soaked overnight, or 2 × 400 g cans rinsed
• •1 whole bay leaf, for the beans
• •400 g (2 cups) long-grain white rice, rinsed until water runs clear
• •600 ml (2½ cups) water or unsalted beef broth, for the rice
• •5 g (1 tsp) salt, for the rice, or to taste
• •10 ml (2 tsp) vegetable oil, for the rice
• •2 whole very ripe plantains, skin black with yellow patches; in a pinch use ripe yellow plantains and a pinch of sugar
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil, for frying the plantain
• •1 g (pinch) fine salt, for the plantain

Steps

1. 1 Cover the dried black beans with plenty of cold water and soak for 8–12 hours, then drain. (If using canned beans, skip this step.)
2. 2 Place the beef in a heavy pot with 1 litre water, the halved onion, crushed garlic, bay leaf and 10 g salt. Bring to a boil, skimming any grey foam, then reduce to a gentle simmer, cover partially and cook for 2–2½ hours, until the beef pulls apart easily with a fork. The internal temperature should reach at least 85 °C / 185 °F and the meat should be fall-apart tender.
3. 3 Meanwhile, cook the beans: put the drained soaked beans in a pot with fresh water to cover by 4 cm, add the bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook 1–1¼ hours, until tender. Salt lightly in the last 10 minutes. Reserve about 250 ml of the cooking liquid.
4. 4 Make the bean stew: heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion and bell pepper for 6–8 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the minced garlic, cumin and oregano and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
5. 5 Add the drained cooked beans and a splash of their cooking liquid. Mash roughly with the back of a spoon so the stew is creamy but still has whole beans. Simmer 8–10 minutes, seasoning to taste with salt. (If using canned beans, simmer 5–7 minutes only.)
6. 6 Shred the beef: lift it out of the cooking liquid, let it cool slightly, then shred with two forks, discarding any fat and gristle. Strain 250 ml of the beef broth and reserve.
7. 7 Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Add the shredded beef and the cumin, and cook 4–5 minutes, stirring, until the edges start to brown. Add a few tablespoons of the reserved beef broth and simmer 2–3 minutes so the meat absorbs the flavour but stays juicy. Keep warm.
8. 8 Cook the rice: heat 10 ml oil in a heavy pot over medium heat, add the rinsed rice and toast, stirring, for 1–2 minutes. Pour in 600 ml water (or broth) and 5 g salt, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
9. 9 Prepare the plantain: peel the ripe plantains by slicing off the ends and running a knife lengthwise along the ridges. Cut each one on a long diagonal into slices about 1 cm thick.
10. 10 Heat 30 ml oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Fry the plantain slices in a single layer for 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden and caramelised. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. In a home kitchen, plantain is the closest stand-in for the traditional sweet ripe plátano: the fruit should be very ripe so it tastes sweet rather than starchy.
11. 11 Plate the pabellón: in the traditional arrangement, mound the white rice on one side of the plate, the shredded beef (carne mechada) next to it, the black bean stew (caraotas) beside that, and lay the fried plantain slices on top of or alongside the rice. Serve hot.