Recipe courtesy of Arempa's

Arempas Pabellón Arepa

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Total: 5 hr
  • Active: 2 hr
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Ingredients

Shredded Beef:

1 chuck roast, about 2 pounds

3 green onions

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup Sofrito (see recipe below)

2 tablespoons sazon

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon salt

Half a bunch cilantro

Dough:

1 bag precooked yellow cornmeal, such as P.A.N.

Vegetable oil, for cooking

Plantain:

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 Yellow Plantain

Beans:

2 cups cooked beans

1/4 cup Sofrito (see recipe below)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon sazon

1 tablespoon salt

Quarter of a bunch cilantro

Shredded mozzarella cheese, for serving

Sofrito

1 bunch green onions

7 garlic cloves

Half a yellow onion

Half a red bell pepper, seeded and stemmed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

Special equipment:
a deep fat-fry thermometer
  1. For the Shredded Beef: Cut the beef into small pieces. Add to a large pot along with the green onions and garlic. Add enough water to cover the beef. Bring to a boil, lower to a high simmer and cook until the beef is tender, about 3 hours. (Add more water as needed.)
  2. Once tender, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid and drain the beef, discard the green onion and garlic. Shred the beef and add back to the pot. Add the Sofrito (see recipe below), sazon, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, cilantro and the reserved 1 cup of cooking liquid. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Set the beef aside.
  3. For the Plantains: Add enough oil to a large saucepan so it comes up about halfway up the side. Attach a deep fat-fry thermometer and bring to 350 degrees F. Peel the plantain and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices on the diagonal. Fry batches in the hot oil until golden brown turning as needed, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
  4. For the Beans: Add the beans, sofrito (see recipe below), garlic powder, Italian seasoning, sazon, salt and cilantro to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring, enough for the beans to heat and the flavors to meld, about 6 minutes.
  5. For the Dough: Follow the package instructions on the bag of precooked cornmeal to make enough dough for 6 arepas (see Cook's Note).
  6. To shape the arepas, grab a portion of dough big enough to fit in your hand and roll it into a ball. Begin to flatten it like the shape and size of a hamburger patty.
  7. Add enough oil to a large skillet to just coat the bottom. Heat over medium-high. Add as many arepas as you can to skillet without overcrowding. Cook until golden, 5 minutes per side. Repeat if needed.
  8. Build the arepas: Insert a small, sharp knife into the edge of an arepa and work it slowly to open up a pocket. Once opened, stuff with some shredded beef, then some plantains, then some beans and finally cheese at the very top. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Take a big bite and enjoy! This is going to be messy but sooo delicious.

Sofrito

  1. Finely chop the green onions, garlic, yellow onion and pepper together. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and translucent. Cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Cook’s Note

My preferred method for making the cornmeal dough is to get a mixing bowl and add the water and salt first. While slowly adding the cornmeal and massaging with your hands to avoid crumbs. You're looking for a moist and soft texture that won't stick to your fingers. Let it sit for a few minutes. If the dough is too stiff, you can always add more water to soften back up.

Let's Get Cooking!

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emmie8486

I made this recipe over the weekend. The directions are easy to follow. I’m not too familiar with Venezuelan flavors, but this is definitely different than the Latin American flavors of what I am familiar. The beef, beans and sofrito complimented each other well and I enjoyed the flavors. However, next time, I would tweak the recipe a little more towards what I am use too. Such as searing the meat with the onion and garlic before boiling and adding Serrano peppers or some type of heat. The beans, I would reserve a little of the beef broth for that part of the recipe too and of course add Serrano and/or jalapeño. The sofrito, of course, add Serrano, jalapeños The beans were very good inside the arepas but I enjoyed the flavor and think they would be good in as a side dish. I do think the recipe is a five star my tweaks are for my personal preference. I wish I were more familiar with Venezuelan cuisine to be more accurate with the rating, but I enjoyed trying something new. This is definitely a do again recipe.

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