Melodi
Disaster Cat
Hi, I'm just putting this here because it took some time to write out and I thought to have a copy of this in Granny's Kitchen made sense in case someone is looking for it in the future.
I'm also going to print out a copy and add it to my own recipe files.
Not Cuban but close (I've had very similar ones in Cuban restaurants)
Melodi's version of (as shown to me by various students, grandmothers, aunties and other friends)
Traditional Venezuelan Black Beans aka Caraotas
1 bag black beans (about 2 to 3 cups)
Water or Chicken Broth to cover beans (about 6 cups)
2 to 3 piece of bacon (optional ham hock or ham pieces)
1 large onion
2 to 6 cloves of garlic (to taste)
1 or 2 bell peppers
1 tsp achiote (annatto) bits or paste
1 tsp salt
2 tsp Venezuelan adobo (or onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, salt, and turmeric - see web for various recipes)
*Note if making the optionally shredded beef dish double the amounts of bacon, onions, etc and cut the onions, pepp, rs and tomatoes into strips rather than pieces.
Soak one bag of black beans overnight (remove any rocks or floating beans and discard)
Put into a cast iron pot or medium to large sized stainless steel pan.
Cover with water or chicken broth until it is about 2 inches over the beans and bring to a rapid boil (about 10 minutes)
*Note do NOT add broth with any salt in it! Salt can stop the beans from softening - use water and add some broth later if you are not sure or you are using stock cubes
Turn down to a medium to low heat and simmer for about 1 to 2 hours (until soft).
Meanwhile in another pan:
Fry two or three strips of bacon
Remove bacon but leave about a tablespoon of grease
Add several bits of achiote or achiote paste to the grease (also called annatto)
Take one large onion and cut into strips or small pieces and cook in the bacon grease until yellow, then add the garlic for a minute or two to soften.
Take one large yellow or green bell pepper and add them to the onions to cook a bit
Take one or two large tomatoes and add to the bacon/onion/bell pepper mix
Add 2 tsp VENEZUELAN Adobo (not Mexican)
(there are various recipes but you can make a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, pepper, and turmeric - amounts vary but about 1tsp each should work, except may 1/2 tsp on the turmeric or pick a web recipe)
Cook everything together for 10 or 20 minutes add a bit of water or beer if it sticks
Now add everything from this pan into a pot of softened black beans.
At this point, you can also add a ham hock or other processed pork meat (chicken is also sometimes used - I don't recommend hotdogs though I've seen students do it - ham or bacon is traditional).
Now you cover and simmer for a long time - or even overnight in a crockpot - look in on it every hour or two to make sure it isn't burning (cast iron pots are traditional).
This dish is often made at the same time as "Carne menchada" which is a beef dish (in Cuba I think it is Ropas Veajas) which is already cooked and shredded beef combined with 1/2 of the bacon/onion/garlic/pepper/tomato mixture and cooked together for several hours.
To do this just make double the amounts of "sauce"
Serve both beans and meat with white rice and friend plantanoes (plantains or green cooking bananas if you can't get plantains);
If you can get Venezuelan (not Mexican) Arena Pan (corn flour) and make an arapa you now have
The National Dish of Venezuela -
https://venezuelancooking.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/more-delicious-arepa-fillings-rellenos/
Pabellón is a word for “pavilion”, but it can also mean the national flag, an ensign, or even a tent. The Pabellón Criollo, the traditional Venezuelan dish is made up of shredded (or pulled) beef, black beans, rice and fried plantains, as the most basic version of it. Some people, depending on the part of the country, also add a plain arepa on the side, some avocadoes, some delicious grated white cheese and even a fried egg.
I'm also going to print out a copy and add it to my own recipe files.
Not Cuban but close (I've had very similar ones in Cuban restaurants)
Melodi's version of (as shown to me by various students, grandmothers, aunties and other friends)
Traditional Venezuelan Black Beans aka Caraotas
1 bag black beans (about 2 to 3 cups)
Water or Chicken Broth to cover beans (about 6 cups)
2 to 3 piece of bacon (optional ham hock or ham pieces)
1 large onion
2 to 6 cloves of garlic (to taste)
1 or 2 bell peppers
1 tsp achiote (annatto) bits or paste
1 tsp salt
2 tsp Venezuelan adobo (or onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, salt, and turmeric - see web for various recipes)
*Note if making the optionally shredded beef dish double the amounts of bacon, onions, etc and cut the onions, pepp, rs and tomatoes into strips rather than pieces.
Soak one bag of black beans overnight (remove any rocks or floating beans and discard)
Put into a cast iron pot or medium to large sized stainless steel pan.
Cover with water or chicken broth until it is about 2 inches over the beans and bring to a rapid boil (about 10 minutes)
*Note do NOT add broth with any salt in it! Salt can stop the beans from softening - use water and add some broth later if you are not sure or you are using stock cubes
Turn down to a medium to low heat and simmer for about 1 to 2 hours (until soft).
Meanwhile in another pan:
Fry two or three strips of bacon
Remove bacon but leave about a tablespoon of grease
Add several bits of achiote or achiote paste to the grease (also called annatto)
Take one large onion and cut into strips or small pieces and cook in the bacon grease until yellow, then add the garlic for a minute or two to soften.
Take one large yellow or green bell pepper and add them to the onions to cook a bit
Take one or two large tomatoes and add to the bacon/onion/bell pepper mix
Add 2 tsp VENEZUELAN Adobo (not Mexican)
(there are various recipes but you can make a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, pepper, and turmeric - amounts vary but about 1tsp each should work, except may 1/2 tsp on the turmeric or pick a web recipe)
Cook everything together for 10 or 20 minutes add a bit of water or beer if it sticks
Now add everything from this pan into a pot of softened black beans.
At this point, you can also add a ham hock or other processed pork meat (chicken is also sometimes used - I don't recommend hotdogs though I've seen students do it - ham or bacon is traditional).
Now you cover and simmer for a long time - or even overnight in a crockpot - look in on it every hour or two to make sure it isn't burning (cast iron pots are traditional).
This dish is often made at the same time as "Carne menchada" which is a beef dish (in Cuba I think it is Ropas Veajas) which is already cooked and shredded beef combined with 1/2 of the bacon/onion/garlic/pepper/tomato mixture and cooked together for several hours.
To do this just make double the amounts of "sauce"
Serve both beans and meat with white rice and friend plantanoes (plantains or green cooking bananas if you can't get plantains);
If you can get Venezuelan (not Mexican) Arena Pan (corn flour) and make an arapa you now have
The National Dish of Venezuela -
https://venezuelancooking.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/more-delicious-arepa-fillings-rellenos/
Pabellón is a word for “pavilion”, but it can also mean the national flag, an ensign, or even a tent. The Pabellón Criollo, the traditional Venezuelan dish is made up of shredded (or pulled) beef, black beans, rice and fried plantains, as the most basic version of it. Some people, depending on the part of the country, also add a plain arepa on the side, some avocadoes, some delicious grated white cheese and even a fried egg.
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