Cook Book Club: July's ingredient is Bay Leaves. The country: Venezuela!

This year we are doing things a little differently. Instead of simply an ingredient, we are highlighting entire cultures. Kits will include a little bit about the country of focus, a recipe that is native to the country, and a unique ingredient or two from that recipe. All recipes are from writers native to the country covered. I'll post the recipes and information here as well, so let's get cooking!

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Pabellon Criollo and Venezuelan Independence Day

Adapted from various online travel & cultural resources

July 5th is Venezuela's Independence Day from Spain. Pabellon criollo, the national dish of Venezuela, is in its essence a celebratory meal. For many, this is the traditional fare of Venezuelan Independence Day and is said to represent the Europeans, Africans, and Indigenous peoples coming together in harmony, although the dish predates Venezuelan Independence Day by a few centuries with somewhat murky beginnings.

Whatever the case, Venezuelan Independence Day wouldn't be the same without this signature combo.

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All three main recipes must be served together to form Venezuela's national dish. The fourth and fifth, optional recipe only appears here, not in the booklet, and is something that is often found alongside this dish.

Another excellent recipe is by Larisa Alvarez on Food Network, as was handed down in her family over a few generations, including a spice mix from her abuela (grandmother). However, it does require a pressure cooker. If you have access to one, I encourage you to try it out. The choice was made to use many different sites for this dish as many sites like the above mentioned used pressure cookers to speed up the process when making all three dishes. Also, some recipes use bay leaves in the black beans as well. Feel free to explore other variations of this delicious dish for yourself and see what works best for you.

The Main Event #1

Carne Mechada

(Slow-Cooked Pulled Beef)

Adapted from 196flavors.com for use by the Brown Deer Library Cookbook Club

Ingredients

• 1 lb beef (skirt steak or flank)

• 2 celery stalks , cut into 4 pieces

• 2 carrots , cut into 4 pieces

• 1 onion , quartered

• 1 onion , finely chopped

• 1 red pepper , diced

• 3 cloves garlic , crushed

• A little Worcestershire sauce

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 4 tablespoons tomato sauce

• Olive oil

• Salt

• Pepper

Directions

1. Boil the beef in a pot of water with celery, quartered onion and carrots.

2. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 3 to 4 hours.

3. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. Once cooled, shred the meat into strands with a knife or two forks until the beef is completely shredded.

5. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet.

6. Add the diced onions and when they start to brown, add the garlic and red bell pepper, a pinch of salt, a little black pepper, bay leaf and cumin.

7. Add beef and stir for a few minutes while sautéing.

8. Add a little water, tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce to the meat.

9. Stir often to bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

The Main Event #2

Caraotas Negras

(Black Beans)

Adapted from GOYA.com for use by the Brown Deer Library Cookbook Club

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon, finely chopped

• ½ large onion, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)

• ½ red and/or green bell pepper, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp. Minced Garlic

• 1 tbsp. brown sugar (optional)

• 2 cans (15.5 oz. each) Black Beans

• Adobo, to taste

• 3 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 2oz. Queso Blanco, grated (for serving)

Directions

1. Add bacon to medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until fat is rendered and bacon begins to crisp, about 7 minutes. Add onions, peppers and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften and begin to brown, about 12 minutes. Stir in brown sugar cane (if desired), stirring until well combined.
   

2. Stir in black beans, ¾ cup water and Adobo. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until bean mixture thickens and beans are heated through, 10-15 minutes more. Stir in cilantro and olive oil just before serving. Top with queso blanco, if desired.
   

3. Serve as part of Venezuelan Shredded Beef (Pabellon Criollo) or serve with Arepas (Venezuelan Cornmeal Patties).

The Main Event #3

Arroz Blanco Venezolano

(Venezuelan White Rice)

Adapted from VenezuelanCooking.com for use by the Brown Deer Library Cookbook Club

Ingredients

• 1 Cup White Rice

• 2 Cups Water

• ½ Teaspoon Salt

• 1 Teaspoon Oil

• 1 Garlic Clove (minced)

• ½ Medium Onion diced

• 1/8 Green Bell Pepper in strips

• 1/8 Red Bell Pepper in strips

Directions

1. Add the salt, oil, garlic, onion, bell peppers and rice into a large enough pot. Stir-fry all the ingredients on high heat, and then as they brown, add the water. Bring to a boil, and then cook until the water has almost completely evaporated.
   

2. Turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, until the rice is soft, dry and loose/fluffy.
   

3. Remove the pot from the heat, and remove all the big pieces of onion and bell peppers.
   

4. Serve with butter on top and enjoy.

Bonus Recipe #1

Plantanos

(Fried Plantains)

Adapted from WeAreCocina.com for use by the Brown Deer Library Cookbook Club

Ingredients

• 2 ripe Plantains (must be very ripe with black stripes on the skin)

• 2 cups of Grape Seed Oil (or as needed to cover about ½ inch of a frying pan)

Directions

1. Peel plantains and cut in half, then into slices about ¼” thick.

2. Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook plantain slices until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on a plate lined with paper town to drain extra oil. This may be done in batches to avoid over-crowding pan.

Bonus Recipe #2

Arepas

(Cornmeal Patties)

Adapted from Familia Kitchen for use by the Brown Deer Library Cookbook Club

Ingredients

• 2 cups precooked cornmeal (see Notes below)

• 2 1/2 cups water, room temperature

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 410°F.

2. Pour the water into a large bowl. Make sure it is at room temperature.

3. Add the salt. Mix well with a whisk, fork, or spatula to make sure it dissolves well.

4. While continuing to beat the mixture, slowly add the cornmeal, a little at a time.

5. Once you have added all of the flour, keep mixing until the cornmeal, water, and salt are completely mixed and dissolved.

6. Set aside the dough in your bowl. Let rest for 5 minutes so that the flour is well hydrated. This type of cornmeal is gluten-free, so it does not need to be kneaded. The dough should be soft, firm but malleable.

7. While you wait for the 5 minutes to rest, heat your budare (or griddle, griddle, cast iron or nonstick skillet) over medium heat. Cover with a little oil.

8. Fill a small container with water to wet your hands to make the arepas.

9. Take around 2 tablespoons of the batter in your wet hands. The dough should easily fit in the palm of your hand so that it is easy to shape into a small ball.

10. Cross your hands so that one is on top of the other, with the ball of dough between them. Rotate your right hand in a circle, so that at the same time you press the dough into a flat disk. y manteniendo su forma redonda.

11. The last step in shaping your arepa is to quickly move and lightly press the disk of dough from one hand to the other until it is about ¾-inch thick and 4-inches wide. Smooth the edges with your fingertips (quickly dip them into the bowl of water first) so that they are as round as possible and without cracks.

12. Place your arepas in batches on the preheated surface of your budare griddle or nonstick skillet. Let each side brown, about 4-5 minutes per side. Check them often so they don't burn.

13. Once they are nicely browned on both sides, place the arepas on a baking sheet in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. They should be somewhat puffed up, so that if you lightly tap an arepa on top, it will sound like you're tapping on an empty box.

14. Serve the arepas hot, either stuffed with your choice of filling or served plain to go with your favorite Venezuelan casserole or casserole.

Note: Original blogger uses Harina Pan, which is precooked, gluten free, ground, and packaged. It can be found in most Latino grocery stores, online, or I found it at Woodman's Market.

Classic Fillings for Arepas:

• reina pepiada (chicken and avocado)

• carne mechada (shredded meat)

• domino (black beans with white cheese)

• perico (scrambled eggs with tomato and onion)

• pulpo (octopus)

• cochino (pork)

• sardines

• el trío clásico: (buttered with ham & cheese)