Pabellon Criollo (Venezuelan Shredded Beef)

Cachapas, arepas and patacones, among other preparations, are a sample of Venezuelan cuisine, however, without doubt, the most popular dish is the pabellon criollo. Like any traditional recipe, it may undergo variations depending on the region or family cooking it. For this reason, variations of the traditional pabellon criollo recipe can be found that include fried eggs, cheese or avocado. The dish combines rice with legumes, meat and plantain. Each preparation is cooked separately, but everything is served together in order for our palate to enjoy this perfect combination.

This is a simple recipe, although it requires some planning. The black beans must be soaked for a minimum of 12 hours before cooking them, and then, both the beans and the meat require a long cooking.

For the preparation of the pabellon criollo we need the so-called caraotas, which are what we call black beans. Also, among the ingredients we have the ají dulce (Venezuelan sweet chili), which can be found frozen in stores specializing in international food. If you cannot find Venezuelan sweet chili, it can be substituted by a chili pepper that adds flavor but it is not excessively hot.

Recipe information

• Preparation time: 10 minutes
• Cooking time: 2 hours y 15 minutes
• Total time: 2 hours y 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 serves
• Category: main course
• Type of cuisine: Venezuelan
• Calories per serving (kcal): 937

Ingredients for Pabellon Criollo (Venezuelan Shredded Beef)

• 2 cups black beans (soaked since the day before)
• 1 onion
• 2 clove garlic
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 3 sweet chilis (sweet perennial pepper)
• 2 tomatoes
• 14 oz of veal (shank)
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 4 ripe plantains
• ¾ cup cooked white rice

How to make Pabellon Criollo (Venezuelan Shredded Beef)

The recipe begins by hydrating 2 cups of black beans the day before. To do this, place the beans in a bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them soak for a minimum of 12 hours.

In a casserole dish, place ¼ onion, ½ clove of garlic, ¼ green bell pepper, ¼ red bell pepper, ½ sweet chili, 1 tomato and the 14 oz piece of veal. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Once the water is boiling, a foam will appear on the surface which must be removed as it appears. This process is called skimming. Simmer over a medium heat for 2 hours until the meat is tender.

Meanwhile, in another casserole dish, place ¼ onion, ½ clove of garlic, ¼ green bell pepper, ¼ red bell pepper, ½ sweet chili, 1 tomato and the 2 cups of soaked beans. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour and 30 minutes until the beans are cooked through. It is important to stir carefully to avoid breaking the beans.

When the beans and meat are ready, turn off the heat and sauté the vegetables that will accompany the shredded meat. To do this, cut into small dices the leftover vegetables that have not been used in the broth, i.e., ½ onion, 1 clove of garlic, ½ green bell pepper, ½ red bell pepper and 2 sweet chilis. The sweet chili adds flavor, but also a spicy note, so the amount indicated here can be adjusted to taste. Sauté all the vegetables, seasoned with salt and pepper, with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent them from burning.

Once the vegetables are cooked through, add the meat, which should be previously shredded. Shank is a very tender meat. Once cooked and cooled down to room temperature, it is easy to separate the shreds that form it. This can be done with your fingers or by shredding the meat with a fork. Once the shredded meat has been added, taste it and adjust the seasoning with salt, and cook for 5 more minutes. If it is too dry, you can add a bit of the water used to cook the beans.

Finally, peel and cut each of the 4 plantains in half crosswise. Fry them in a frying pan for 2 minutes on each side, until cooked through. When ready, place a plantain on each of the 4 plates where the pabellon criollo will be served.

Next to each plantain, place about ¼ cup of the ¾ cup of cooked rice, a portion of the black beans and a portion of the shredded meat, and serve. The perfect bite is the one that combines every part of the dish.

Easy instructions

1. Hydrate the black beans in a bowl with cold water the day before
2. Cook the veal for 2 hours together with part of the onion, garlic, tomato, green and red bell pepper
3. Meanwhile, cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes the black beans together with part of the onion, garlic, tomato, green and red bell pepper, and the sweet chili
4. Sauté the remaining vegetables, seasoned with salt and pepper, for 15 minutes over a low heat
5. Add the previously shredded beef to the sautéed mixture
6. Fry the plantains cut in half
7. Serve a portion of cooked rice, beans, shredded meat and a fried plantain to each plate