Pabellón Criollo --A Culinary Delight in Venezuela
by Judith Rice aboard Thaleia
with Maria Elena Vanderdys, chef at El Ancla Restaurante, Puerto La Cruz

I find that there are two kinds of cruisers: those who cruise to eat, and those who eat to cruise. John and I are definitely in the first group.

Tasting the new flavors and textures of regional foods is always our first adventure in a new place, and learning to cook the typical dish of our host country is second on my 'to do' list, right after visiting the local market. In Venezuela, that dish would be Pabellón Criollo-a dinner that frequently graces every family's table, and one that is served in many restaurantes tipicos. Pabellón means flag or symbol, and criollo means national or (in Venezuela) Venezuelan. Therefore, literally, it means the national dish.

The star of Pabellón Criollo is a shredded skirt steak or brisket (at the market, it's called falda) simmered in a sauce, by itself called carne mechada, a dish similar to the Cuban ropa vieja. Unlike the Cuban dish however, the ajis dulces (small sweet peppers) used here in preparation of both the beef and the beans, offer a sweet peppery flavor unique to Venezuelan cuisine. Pabellón Criollo consists of the shredded beef dish accompanied by Venezuelan black beans, white rice and sautéed sweet plantains (large ripe bananas), with cilantro and fresh lime garnish. The meal can be served with garlic bread or with arepas, the delectable Venezuelan corn bread.

Since taking over El Ancla Restaurante in the Bahia Redonda Marina in Puerto La Cruz earlier this year, Maria Elena Vanderdys and husband Roberto Martinez have worked hard to win the loyalty of the cruisers in Puerto La Cruz. In addition to feeding customers breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week, they have sponsored many events at the restaurant, including a traditional Thanksgiving feast with recipes and assistance from some of the American cruisers. It seemed only fair then that Maria Elena should share with us her recipes and cooking tips for preparing the Venezuelan national dish. She graciously agreed to hold a cooking class for all takers. The payoff for all was to be in the evening at the popular restaurant: the house special would be Pabellón Criollo. She didn't have to offer twice!

In the morning, some twenty of us gathered round the table to watch Maria Elena and her assistant demonstrate the preparation of the beans, shredded beef, and the plantains. They passed out the recipes, talked a bit about how to buy the ingredients and then, having prepped the beef through the first step and the beans through the second step for the demonstration, proceeded to finish the cooking of both dishes.

Maria Elena's Shredded Beef (Carne Mechada)

Ingredients:

1 kg flank steak or brisket
1 green onion, cut in half
1 medium white onion, cut in half
4 Tbs vegetable oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bell pepper, chopped
3 small seasoning peppers (aji dulce), chopped
2 Tbs tomato paste
2 tablespoons ketchup or to taste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 cube beef bouillon
½ tsp ground cumin

Preparation:

1) Place the beef in large pot with the green onion and the halved white onion and cover with water. Boil until the meat is falling-apart tender. (You can use a pressure cooker for about 30-40 minutes to save cooking time). Remove beef from broth, reserving broth, and allow the meat to cool until it can be handled.

2) In a large heavy pan, sauté chopped onion, garlic and peppers until just transparent. Add the remaining ingredients and enough liquid from the reserved stock to make a thick sauce. Simmer for 20 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, with your fingers, shred the beef (as below), discarding the fat and gristle. Add meat to the sauce and mix well.

This dish can be made well ahead of time and, in fact, is better with time. Leftover carne mechada can also be used to fill empanadas or pasteles, delectable Venezuelan pastries.

Maria Elena's Venezuelan Black Beans (Caraotas Negras)

Ingredients:

½ kg black beans (caraotas negras)
2 tsp baking soda
1 sprig fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs vegetable or corn oil
1 small Chorizo, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
3 small sweet seasoning peppers (aji dulce), chopped
3 green onions, chopped 1 large bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground cumin or to taste
2 bay leaves 1 cube chicken bouillon
1 Tbs ketchup
Worcestershire sauce to taste

Preparation:

1) Clean and rinse beans. Cover with water and soak overnight.

2) Drain the beans and place in a large pot with approximately 1 liter of fresh water and baking soda. Bring to a boil, then simmer slowly until the beans are soft. If necessary, add more water.

3) Add salt, pepper and cilantro, and continue to simmer while preparing the following.

4) Put oil, onions, garlic, peppers, and sausage into a large heavy pan and sauté until sausage is done. Dissolve chicken bouillon in a ½ cup of water and add to mixture.

5) Remove cilantro from beans and mix together the beans with the sausage mixture. Add cumin, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. Correct seasoning and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Both the beans and beef can be prepared ahead of time; in fact, they are better after sitting for a day. Just heat them before starting the plantains and rice.

Plantains (Plátanos)

For the plátanos, buy only very ripe plantains-the skins are black and the plantains are slightly soft to the touch. Peel and diagonally slice the plantains into ¼ inch slices, then sauté in butter or vegetable oil on both sides until just brown. Remove from pan and blot on paper towel. Sprinkle the plantains with a little salt and a squeeze of fresh lime juice while they're still hot. Serve immediately.

In the evening, I joined Maria Elena for the final preparations in the galley. While Maria Elena finished sautéing the plantains, her assistant served each plate with ¼ cup of white rice garnished with chopped cilantro, ½ cup of meat on a bit of green leaf lettuce, a large scoop of black beans, and 4 slices of sautéed plantains.

In the restaurant, the tables were pulled together to accommodate large groups, family style, for a festive evening and one of the best dishes ever prepared at El Restaurante Ancla. While Roberto Maria Elena's husband, was busy greeting the guests, the waiters served ice cold Polar beer and prepared the tables for the feast. Those of us who were there in the morning had only watched the preparations, but somehow we felt a certain pride in the production. For many, this would be the first ever Pabellón Criollo experience. As dinner was served, the laughing and talking ebbed and gave way to the clinking of knives and forks on the plates. No one had to ask 'how is your dinner?' It was obvious: there wasn't a morsel left on anyone's plate. Only furtive glances toward the galley-some hoping for more.

No problem. Dinner may be finished tonight, but we have Maria Elena's secrets. We can duplicate this fabulous dish anytime we want to. And so can you!