Arepa Filled With Shredded Beef Black Beans Fried Plantain White Cheese Recipes

VENEZUELAN SHREDDED BEEF

Steps:

• Cut the meat into 4 pieces.
• Place beef broth in a large pot over medium-high heat. At first boil, add the meat and cook for 15 minutes. Taste the broth and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Cover and let it cook for about 2 - 3 hours, or until the meat is fully cooked and tender. As the meat cooks, check the broth levels and add more if needed (the broth should always cover meat).
• When the meat is tender and fully cooked, carefully removed it from the pot, place it on a plate, and let it cool. Reserve broth (about 3-4 cups).
• Once the meat is cool enough, sheared using two forks or your hands, remove and discard big pieces of fat, if any.
• Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and pepper and sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Then add garlic and let it cook for 1 more minute.
• Stir in shredded beef and mix to combine well.
• In a medium bowl, combine tomato paste, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, oregano, and reserved beef broth; mix well until everything is well combined. Add this mixture to the meat. Add the bay leaves, cover, and cook for 20 -25 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been consumed. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper, if necessary.
• Serve hot with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains if desired.
• Cut the meat into 4 pieces. Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste. Add beef to a slow cooker.
• Combine ½ cup beef broth, tomato paste, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, and dried oregano in a mixing bowl. Add mixture to the slow cooker.
• Add onion, peppers, garlic, and bay leaves. Mix to combine.
• Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
• When the time is over, and the meat is tender, remove meat for the slow cooker. Once the meat is cool enough, sheared using two forks or your hands, remove and discard big pieces of fat, if any. and toss to coat with the juices
• Return shredded meat to the cooker and toss to coat with the sauce. Discard bay leaves.
• Serve hot with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains if desired.
• For pressure cooker instructions, check out my Instant Pot Venezuelan Shredded Beef recipe.

HOW TO MAKE AREPAS (3 INGREDIENTS!)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Set out a baking sheet and line with parchment paper. And to a large mixing bowl, add water and salt. Stir to combine and dissolve salt.
• A little at a time, add the areparina and stir with a whisk or your hands (our preferred method). You may work your way all the way up to two cups, although we typically have 1-2 Tbsp leftover. You're looking for a dough that doesn't easily stick to your hands, is moldable and moist, and can be rolled into a ball. Once you have that consistency, cover with a towel for 5 minutes. We did mix both white and yellow areparina as inspired by Teote (optional).
• Uncover, grab a large handful of dough, and roll into a ball (as the recipe is written, our batch made 6 large arepas, but it could also make 8-10 smaller arepas).
• Carefully press the ball between the palms of your hands to form into a roughly 1/2-inch thick disc (for thinner, crispier arepas, press closer to 1/4 inch). If it cracks a lot on the sides, your dough may need 1-2 (15-30 ml) more water. A little cracking is OK - just use your hands to close the cracks by gently patting along the edges (see photo).
• Once the arepas are formed, heat a large cast-iron or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add a little oil and swirl to coat. Then add arepas, giving them a little room in between so they don't touch. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until deep golden brown (a few blackened spots are OK). You're looking to form a crust. Then flip and cook for 2-3 minutes more or until the underside is also browned.
• Transfer to your parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until slightly puffed up and a little more golden brown in color. Some people like to slice into them immediately, but I find they can be a little doughy in the middle at that stage, so I prefer to let them cool for 5-10 minutes and serve while they're warm but not piping hot.
• To enjoy, slice in half and enjoy as is, spread both sides with vegan butter and a little maple syrup (YUM), or cut the arepa 3/4 of the way around, leaving a seam on the edge so you can "stuff" it like a pita. Fillings could include everything from black beans to rice to guacamole or even our Vegan Barbacoa!
• Best when fresh. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month (cooked or uncooked). Reheat in a 350-degree F (176 C) oven until warmed through. If reheating frozen uncooked arepas, I'd recommend letting them thaw first and cooking them as instructed.