This recipe for Arepas Pabellón is inspired by a visit to an absolutely delicious Venezuelan restaurant. Last week, I checked out one of Philly’s newest restaurants: Puyero Venezuelan Flavor.
source: puyeroflavor.com
Located just off of South Street on S 4th, the restaurant serves Venezuelan street food including arepas, patacones and tequenos, plus yummy desserts like churros.
The 22-seat restaurant is vibrant and colorful, very welcoming. I enjoyed reading a selection of Venezuelan sayings that decorate one of the walls; my favorite: “Más hambre que piojo en peluche” or “I’m hungrier than a tick on a teddy bear.”
Owned by brothers Simon and Gil, and Gil’s wife Manuela, the restaurant has a very “homey” feel to it. The entire menu is available for lunch and dinner, with brunch options coming in the spring. You can also order delivery through Caviar (which I’ve totally already done. Hence the photos below, showing my delivery food).
While there, I tried quite a few menu items, but my favorites were the tequenos, white cheese wrapped in deep fried dough, and arepas pabellon, which is an arepa filled with shredded beef, black beans, fried sweet plantains, and white cheese.
I wanted to try to make Arepas Pabellón for myself at home. This recipe can be made ahead of time, reheated, and assembled when ready to eat.
Shredded Beef:
- garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 4
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
Arepas:
- 1 1/2 cups masarepa (a type of cornmeal found in the international section of most supermarkets. white or yellow is fine)
- 1 1/2 cups water, or more if needed
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Fried Sweet Plantains:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- salt, to taste
Other Fillings:
- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
- queso blanco
Note: if making ahead, make the beef and refrigerate. You can also make the arepas ahead of time, and cover with plastic wrap for a couple of days. To assemble later, reheat your beef until warm, and quickly grill the arepas until warm. Then assemble as instructed below.
To make your Arepas Pabellón, first make the beef by adding the olive oil to a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add in the oregano and tomato paste, mixing to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
Remove from the pan and add to your slow cooker. Add in the flank steak and top with the crushed tomatoes.
Pour in your beef broth; it should just cover the flank steak. Season with salt and pepper and add in the Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and hot sauce. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
After 4 hours, remove and discard the bay leaf. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Add to a bowl and add some of the liquid from the slow cooker until the beef is fully saturated and the liquid is mostly absorbed into the meat, about 1/2 cup. Discard the remaining liquid.
To make the arepas, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the masarepa, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl.
Mix with your hands until the mixture becomes a dough. You want it to be smooth, but not sticky.
Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 even parts and roll into balls. Add a sheet of plastic wrap to a cutting board and add the 4 balls to the cutting board.
Press down on each ball to form a disk about 1/2 inch thick.
Add the butter in a cast iron pan over medium-low heat. Add the disks and cook for 5 minutes, or until a dry crust has formed.
Flip and cook on the other side for another 2 minutes.
Add the cast iron to the oven and bake at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes or until completely cooked. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut in half (but not all the way through).
To make plantains, add the oil and butter to a large saute pan over medium high heat. Sprinkle the plantains with brown sugar and salt.
When the butter begins sizzling, add the plantains to the pan and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Flip the plantains and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add to a paper towel to let drain.
When ready to assemble your Arepas Pabellón, fill the arepas with some of the shredded beef, black beans, sweet plantain, and queso blanco and serve with some hot sauce, if desired.
I like the slightly spicy meat paired with the sweetness of the plantains. The cheese adds a little bit of creaminess and the beans make this a surprisingly filling meal!
I’m not going to lie though, these Arepas Pabellón aren’t nearly as delicious as what is served at Puyero. The meat is juicy and flavorful, but it’s missing something. It also helps that Puyero has a bunch of house-made condiments to add to your food. My favorite is their mango-based hot sauce; it’s so yummy!
I’m thrilled that this restaurant found a home in Philadelphia; I will definitely be eating there in the future!
Arepas Pabellón
Ingredients
Shredded Beef:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 lb flank steak
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 bay leaf
Arepas:
- 1 1/2 cups masarepa a type of cornmeal found in the international section of most supermarkets. white or yellow is fine
- 1 1/2 cups water or more if needed
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Fried Sweet Plantains:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 yellow plantains cut in into 1-inch thick slices
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- salt to taste
Other Fillings:
- 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
- queso blanco
Instructions
- Note: if making ahead, make the beef and refrigerate. You can also make the arepas ahead of time, and cover with plastic wrap for a couple of days. To assemble later, reheat your beef until warm, and quickly grill the arepas until warm. Then assemble as instructed below.
- To make the beef, add the olive oil to a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add in the oregano and tomato paste, mixing to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
- Remove from the pan and add to your slow cooker. Add in the flank steak and top with the crushed tomatoes.
- Pour in your beef broth; it should just cover the flank steak. Season with salt and pepper and add in the Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and hot sauce. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, remove and discard the bay leaf. Remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Add to a bowl and add some of the liquid from the slow cooker until the beef is fully saturated and the liquid is mostly absorbed into the meat, about 1/2 cup. Discard the remaining liquid.
- To make the arepas, preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the masarepa, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl.
- Mix with your hands until the mixture becomes a dough. You want it to be smooth, but not sticky.
- Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 even parts and roll into balls. Add a sheet of plastic wrap to a cutting board and add the 4 balls to the cutting board.
- Press down on each ball to form a disk about 1/2 inch thick.
- Add the butter in a cast iron pan over medium-low heat. Add the disks and cook for 5 minutes, or until a dry crust has formed.
- Flip and cook on the other side for another 2 minutes.
- Add the cast iron to the oven and bake at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes or until completely cooked. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut in half (but not all the way through).
- To make plantains, add the oil and butter to a large saute pan over medium high heat. Sprinkle the plantains with brown sugar and salt.
- When the butter begins sizzling, add the plantains to the pan and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Flip the plantains and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add to a paper towel to let drain.
- When ready to assemble, fill the arepas with some of the shredded beef, black beans, sweet plantain, and queso blanco and serve with some hot sauce, if desired.
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.