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Venezuelan Pabellón

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  • Prep 30 min
  • Total 2 hr 30 min
  • Ingredients 20
  • Servings 4
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Pabellón Criollo is the Venezuelan national dish and is without a doubt my family’s favorite. I must confess, I don't prepare is as often as I would like, but every time I do it's a huge success! Looking at the recipe you might think this dish is a little complicated, but it doesn't have to be. For example, the meat can be cooked and shredded the day before. I use canned beans, something my mom disapproves of, but it saves me tons of time. Serve the pabellón with arepitas and cream, it's delicious!
Oriana Romero
Updated Sep 16, 2015
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Ingredients

Shredded meat

  • 1 flank steak, approximately 2 lbs
  • 6 to 8 cups Progresso™ 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) Muir Glen™ organic tomato paste
  • 1 can (8 oz) Muir Glen™ organic tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 bay leaves

Black beans

  • 1/2 cup corn 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
  • 4 cups white rice, cooked to your liking

Directions

  •  
    1
    Shredded beef: Cut the steak into 4 pieces.
  •  
    2
    Place the broth into a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken 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.
  •  
    3
    Once the meat is cold enough, shred it with the help of two forks or your hands.
  •  
    4
    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.
  •  
    5
    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.
  •  
    6
    Black beans: Place the oil, onion and garlic in a blender. Mix at medium velocity until everything is well combined.
  •  
    7
    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.
  •  
    8
    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.
  •  
    9
    Serve: Add a generous amount of shredded beef to a dish, then rice, beans and fried plantains. Serve hot.

Expert Tips

  • tip 1
    When you're shredding the beef and remove as much of the fat as possible.

Nutrition Information

No nutrition information available for this recipe

More About This Recipe

  • Pabellón Criollo is the Venezuelan national dish and is without a doubt my family’s favorite. I must confess, I don't prepare is as often as I would like, but every time I do it's a huge success! Looking at the recipe you might think this dish is a little complicated, but it doesn't have to be. For example, the meat can be cooked and shredded the day before. I use canned beans, something my mom disapproves of, but it saves me tons of time. Serve the pabellón with arepitas and cream, it's delicious!
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