Hallacas
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 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
2⅓ hrsREADY
2½ hrsHallacas 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
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.
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