Pabellón Criollo is considered Venezuela's national dish, a symbol of its culinary identity. It combines four simple yet flavorful elements: white rice, stewed black beans, shredded meat, and fried plantains. These ingredients represent the country's cultural and agricultural diversity: rice and beans provide a nourishing base, meat provides strength, and plantains provide tropical sweetness. Each region of Venezuela adds its own unique twist, but the spirit of the dish remains the same: a complete and generous meal. Pabellón Criollo is naturally gluten-free since it uses products without flour or bread. It is served at family meals and on national holidays, and remains a staple in Venezuelan homes.

Pabellon criollo, Venezuela's national dish

Venezuela

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Preparation time 30 mins Cooking time 3 hrs Rest time 12 hrs Total time 15 hrs 30 mins

Difficulty: Intermediate Servings: 4

Cooking method: Traditional

Ingredients

Servings

• For the shredded meat (carne mechada)
• 500 g of stewing beef (chuck, cheek or rump)
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 diced red pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 peeled and chopped tomatoes (or 1 small can of diced tomatoes)
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ¹ ⁄ ₂ tsp chili powder
• Vegetable oil, salt, pepper
• For the black beans (caraotas negras)
• 250g dried black beans 12 hours)
• 1 onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 red pepper, cut into strips
• 1 drizzle of oil, salt and pepper
• For rice and plantains
• 250 g of white rice
• 2 very ripe plantains (black or almost black skin)
• Vegetable oil for cooking
• Salt

Preparation

1. 1- Cooking the meat.
2. Grill the beef for a few minutes on each side, then place the meat in a large pot of salted water and cook for 1.5 to 2 hours until tender. Drain the meat, reserving a little of the broth, then shred it with a fork. In a skillet, sauté the onion, garlic, and bell pepper in a little oil. Add the tomatoes, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir in the shredded meat and a little broth to thicken the sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes.
   
3. 2. Preparing the black beans

4. Drain and rinse the beans that were soaked the day before. Cook them in a large pot of water with the bay leaf for about 1 hour, or as directed on the package. In another pan, sauté the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and cumin. Add a ladleful of beans and crush them lightly, then return everything to the pot to thicken the mixture. Add salt at the end of cooking and keep warm.

   
5. 3. Cooking the rice
6. Cook the white rice in salted water until tender (depending on the rice used, about 10 minutes for basmati). Drain and set aside.
7. 4. Cooking the plantains
8. Cut the plantains into 1 cm thick slices. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry them for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season lightly with salt. (Tip: You can also brush them with oil and bake them in the oven at 200°C for 25 minutes, turning them halfway through cooking.)
9. 5. Training
10. On each plate, place: a portion of white rice, 2 tablespoons of black beans, shredded meat and a few slices of grilled plantain.

Keywords: Venezuelan national dish, traditional Venezuelan recipe, black beans and rice, gluten-free Venezuelan cuisine, Pabellón Criollo recipe.

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