Pabellon Criollo (based on shredded meat)

pabellón criollo or pabellón venezuelano is one of the most representative dishes of Venezuelan cuisine. full of varied colors and flavors, it possibly evokes the union of the ethnic groups that make up our society, it carries the unique and warm aroma of this land.

pabellón is a dish that has accompanied throughout history, has grown with Venezuelans, with small variations in different regions of Venezuela, but always maintaining the unique and pure essence of the national dish par excellence, it is representative of the diet. Mainly urban Creole , it is difficult to define the origin of the dish, but by the end of the 19th century it was recognized in Caracas.

It consists of white rice, shredded meat, black beans and fried banana slices, all arranged in an ornamental way, highlighting the color, aroma and flavor. in this dish a balance is created between all its components, both in color and flavor, each one is an important part of Venezuelan cuisine.

Since colonization, rice, as well as beans, have been part of the Venezuelan's daily diet. The beans accompanied breakfasts, lunches and dinners, just as the arepa accompanied our meals in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening, today it is only an eventual part of the breakfasts and dinners, while still having importance in our culinary culture. .

Rice was also served daily, prepared lightly seasoned with sweet pepper, garlic and onion, loose and white, very white, in the same way that it is served in pabellón. The beans must be very black, there are those who impregnate them with spices such as cloves, cumin and a sauce of garlic, onions, peppers, salt to taste ... for their preparation they are allowed to cook in boiling water, which can be accompanied with smoked pork or chopped pork thighs, (just to add flavor, as they do not appear on the plate) until they are soft and tender, then they are seasoned and the broth has a thick consistency. the beans can be consumed with broth for flavor or, if you prefer fried, can be drained and fried in hot butter or oil. If you prefer, they can also be eaten with a sweet touch, provided by torn paper or sugar.

On the other hand, the shredded meat (beef) is boiled with onion and salt until it reaches a softening point where it can be easily roasted. then it is perverse by hand, in fine pieces. then in very hot oil, preferably colored with "onoto", in which crushed garlic, onion, chopped pepper sauté, sauté the meat and add the chopped tomato without skin or seeds, salt and pepper to taste, it is important to cook over fire soft until very juicy. the meat is red and aromatic.

finally the banana is chopped and fried. the components are distributed on the plate in a decorative way and the slices are placed around it. The display of colors will undoubtedly be striking, the white of rice, the black of beans, reddish meat and golden yellow bananas, serving either as a grill, or as part of the dish, the set will be as impressive as a sunsets in the falcon chorus dunes, like a sunrise in the majestic Andes mountains or as a simple view of the imposing tepuis of our fantastic Amazon ... the flavor will be incomparable, the warmth of our land makes our cuisine feel , and when tasting our national dish you can feel Venezuela through its taste ...