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Hallacas

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Submitted by happyzhangbo

Hallacas are Venezuela’s Christmas tamales: beef, pork, chickpeas, olives, raisins, and capers wrapped in cornmeal dough and banana leaves, then boiled. Holiday tradition in every bite.

YIELD

6 servings

PREP

10 min

COOK

2⅓ hrs

READY

hrs

Hallacas are the dish that defines Venezuelan Christmas. Every family has a slightly different recipe, but the structure is the same: a spiced beef and pork stew with the sweet-savory crew of chickpeas, olives, raisins, and capers, all tucked inside cornmeal dough and wrapped in banana leaves for steaming.

The filling is where the flavor lives. Beef and pork cook together with garlic until tender, then join sauteed tomatoes, onions, green peppers, chile, parsley, vinegar, and sugar for a layered stew that balances savory, sweet, tart, and spicy. The cornmeal masa cooks soft on the stove and gets beaten with eggs and butter until smooth and pliable enough to spread thin.

The traditional method wraps each hallaca individually in banana leaf (or foil as a substitute) and boils them in salted water. For a weeknight shortcut, this recipe also offers a casserole version baked in a water bath for one hour. Either way, unwrapping a warm hallaca at the table is a small holiday ceremony.

Cook Tips

  • Char banana leaves briefly over a flame before wrapping if you can find them. The gentle warming makes them pliable so they fold without cracking.
  • Make the filling a day ahead. Flavors meld overnight and the meat absorbs the sweet-savory brine from the olives and raisins.
  • Spread the cornmeal dough as thin as possible. Thick dough overpowers the filling; thin dough lets the meat stew shine.
  • Tie the wrapped hallacas with kitchen string in both directions. A single tie loosens during boiling and the hallaca unwraps in the pot.

Variations

  • Add chicken to the meat mixture for a three-meat version traditional in some Venezuelan regions.
  • Stir in sliced almonds or pine nuts with the raisins and olives for extra texture.
  • Serve with a small dish of aji picante (Venezuelan hot sauce) for diners who want more heat.

Ingredients

1 ½ 680.4
POUNDS G BEEF
diced
1 ½ 680.4
POUNDS G PORK
diced
2 473
CUPS ML WATER
4 4
CLOVES CLOVES GARLIC
minced
1 237
3 45
TABLESPOONS ML OLIVE OIL
4 4
EACH TOMATOES
chopped
4 4
EACH ONIONS
chopped
2 2
EACH EACH GREEN BELL PEPPER
chopped
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML HOT CHILI PEPPER
ground dried
4 60
TABLESPOONS ML PARSLEY LEAVES
4 20
TEASPOONS ML SALT
3 45
TABLESPOONS ML VINEGAR
1 5
2 10
TEASPOONS ML CAPERS *
½ 118
½ 118
CUP ML OLIVES
sliced stuffed *
3 710
CUPS ML CORNMEAL
4 946
CUPS ML WATER
boiling
79
CUP ML BUTTER
2 2
LARGE LARGE EGGS
beaten

Directions

Combine beef, pork, water, and garlic in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes.

Drain and chop coarsely.

Add the chickpeas, mixing lightly.

Heat the oil in a large skillet.

Add the tomatoes, onions, peppers, chile, parsley, 2 teaspoon of salt, vinegar, sugar and the meat mixture.

Cook over low heat for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the capers, raisins, and olivs.

Mix lightly, set aside.

Mix the cornmeal with a little cold water.

Add to the boiling water in a saucepan, stirring constantly.

Add the butter and remaining salt.

Cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the eggs, beating until a smooth dough is formed.

Butter a 3-qt round or square baking dish .

Line it with ⅔ of the cornmeal mixture and pour the meat mixture into it.

Spread the remaining corn meal on top.

Cover the dish with a piece of foil and tie it.

Place in a pan of water.

Bake at 350 deg. F for 1 hour.

Venezuelan method:

The dish is prepared in teh form of tamales.

Banana leaves are used for warpping the hallacas, but foil or parchment paper will serve as a substitute.

Cut 10in squares of either.

Spread about 4 tbsp of the cornmeal dough in the center and press as thin as possible.

Place 2 tbsp of the meat mixture on the dough and fold over, sealing the edges as well as possible.

If the dough breaks, patch it with a little more dough.

Fold the paper around the hallacas carefully and tie securely.

If foil is used, it is not necessary to tie it.

Boil in a large saucepan of salted water for 1½ hours.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 827g (29.2 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 1094 44% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 53g 82%
Saturated Fat 20g 102%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 293mg 98%
Sodium 1969mg 82%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 27%
Dietary Fiber 10g 39%
Sugars g
Protein 151g
Vitamin A 31% Vitamin C 91%
Calcium 12% Iron 46%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free, High Fiber
 

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