V for Venezuela



This hearty national dish of Venezuela is as delicious as it looks and not too difficult to make. The closest translation of Pabellon Criollo is “Creole Flag” in which the colours in the dish represent. yellow (Plantain), red (beef and tomatoes), Blue (black beans) and white (Rice). I recomment you try this as we were not disappointed and it goes down nicely with a few cold bottles of beer on a Sunday afternoon.

Pabellon Criollo

Pabellon Criollo

Serves 4

Pabellon Criollo is made of 4 main components Shredded beef,  rice, black beans and fried plantain. This is also commonly served with a fried egg.

Shredded Beef and tomatoes
Ingredients:-
1lb of Flank or braising steak
3 beef stock cubes
1 tbsp of butter
1 ½ diced onions
2 diced tomatoes
A bunch of chopped fresh coriander

Beef

Method:-
Add the beef and stock to a pan
Fill the pan up with boiling water until beef is covered
Simmer and cover for an hour and a half
Take off heat and leave for at least and hour for the steak to cool
Remove the steak from pan and break and shred up into a dish and set aside
Keep the juices in pan to be used with beef and black beans later
Cook the rice and beans
Melt the butter in a pan
Add the onions and fry for 5 mins
Add the tomatoes
Add ½ a cup of beef juices
Stir and fry for 2 mins
Stir in the fresh coriander
Done

Pabellon Criollo

Rice
Ingredients:-
1 tsp of vegetable oil
3 Garlic cloves grated
1 Scotch Bonnet
240g of rice

Scotch Bonnet

Method:-
Heat oil in the pan
Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute
Add 2 cups of water and the scotch bonnet
Bring to simmer and then add the rice
Once the water is evaporated it is ready
Remove scotch bonnet (This can be added to beef if you like the spice).

Pabellon Criollo

Beans
Ingredients:-
1 tsp of vegetable oil
3 Garlic cloves grated
1 Large onion diced
1 can or carton of drained black beans
½ a cup of the beef stock left from beef stewing juices
1 ½ tsp of ground cumin

Method:-
Heat the oil in a pan
Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute
Add the onion and fry for 5 minutes
Add the black beans, beef juice and cumin
Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 10 mins until a thick sauce

Plantain
Ingredients:-
1 Large plantain sliced into discs
1 tbsp of vegetable oil
Salt

Method:-
Heat oil in the pan on a medium heat
Fry plantain until golden brown on each side turn regular as can burn quickly
Put onto a plate and salt them up to taste

Pabellon Criollo

U for Uruguay

A hearty delicious meaty steak dish served in Uruguay. With this dish we use another inspired Uruguayan/Argentinian dish called chimichurri sauce (Garlic, oil, zesty herby sauce or marinate). Chivito al plato is the plated up none bread version of the the famous Chivito Sandwich. Uruguay along with Argentina are very famous for their barbecued meats expecially the steaks.

Chivito al plato

Chivito al Plato

Chivito al Plato

For 2 people

Ingredients

2 rib eye steaks

Half a ball of mozzarella sliced

5 tbsp of Chimichirru (recipe below)

2 slices of fried bacon

2 fried eggs

2 slices of lean ham

1 small onion sliced and fried

6 small tomatoes halved



Rib eye steak



Method:-

Rub in the chimichirru into the Rib eye steaks
Cover the steaks and refrigerate for at least 1 hour
BBQ or grill the steaks for 2-3 mins each side
Let the steaks rest for 1 min
Add steaks to the serving plate 1 steak per person
Stack on top mozzarella, ham, egg, bacon, onion and tomatoes

Can be served with fries, salad also potato salad

We served us with a potato and bean salad (recipe below)
Also have some Chimichirru in side dish to serve with it.

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Chimichirru



Chimichirru



Ingredients

Half an onion peeled and chopped roughly

5 cloves of garlic peeled

Juice of half a lime

5 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp of Chilli flakes

1 tbsp oregano

1 tsp of salt

A bunch fresh parsley

Method

Add onion and Garlic to food processor and blend roughly
Add parsley and oregano to food processor and blend until evenly finely chopped
Add to a bowl or container
Add the olive oil, lime, chilli and salt
Stir, cover and keep in fridge until ready to use

Potato and bean salad



Ingredients

500g of boiled and chilled new potatoes

100g grams of green beans boiled and halved

50 g of broad beans

2 Tbsp

5 tbsp of mayonnaise

2 tbps of single cream

Salt and pepper

Method

Add everything to a bowl or container and mix well and chill until ready to use

Chivito al Plato with potato salad

T for Turkey

Lamb Shish Kebabs with pita bread, yoghurt and tomato sauce

Lamb Shish kebabs

A nice twist on the regular lamb shish kebab however koftas can often come served in this style. Try it out is very delicious with the BBQ lamb and the fresh mixture of the yoghurt and tomato.

Lamb Shish Kebabs
Serves 4
Ingredients:-
KEBABS
1 tbsp of salt
2 cloves of Garlic grated
4 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 tbsp of paprika
1/2 juice of a lemon
500g good diced lamb

Tomato Sauce:-
3 grilled and peeled tomatoes
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp of tomato puree
Pinch of sugar

Others:-
4 Pita breads
8 tbsp of warm Turkish yoghurt

Method:-
Kebabs
Add salt, garlic, olive oil, cumin, paprika, Lemon juice and stir
Mix together the lamb and marinade cover and put in fridge for 2 - 24 hours

Tomato Sauce
Add the tomatoes, butter, salt, tomato puree, sugar to blender
Blend for about 30 seconds until a silky smooth sauce

Final dish
Skewer the lamb meat over 4 skewers
Cook on a hot BBQ for about 3-4 mins each side
Remove and from BBQ and skewers and put aside
Warm the pitas on BBQ for about 30 seconds each side
Get 4 plates and break or slice up the pitas 1 on each plate
Add 2 tbsp of yoghurt on pitas on each plate
Pour 1/4 of tomato sauce over yoghurt on each plate
Add 1/4 of the Lamb kebab to each plate

You can alternatively serve all in one big plate if sharing with others.

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BBQ trout with lemon, mixed herbs and olives

Ingredients:-

2 whole trout's gutted and scaled

2 Lemons sliced

10 black olives halved

10 green olives halved

Bunch of fresh Chives whole

Bunch of fresh parsley whole

Small bunch of fresh mint

Sea salt 

pepper

2 tbsps olive oil

Method:-

Place the trout's on long sheet of aluminium foil

Stuff the trout cavity with the herbs and some on top

Add some lemon slices and olives to cavity and on top of trout

Season cavity and top of fish with sea salt and pepper

Drizzle with olive oil

Wrap up in the foil air tight and place on BBQ hot coals

Add a few coals on top of foil and leave for about 20 mins

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BBQ Haloumi slices with Turkish salad

BBQ Haloumi

BBQ some Haloumi slice for a couple of mins each side and serve with some Turkish salad

Simple Turkish salad with olive, lettuce, tomatoes, olive oil and some herbs 

Potato Heart