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.