Venezuelan Pabellon Criollo (Pabellón Criollo) — Shredded Beef, Black Beans, Rice, and Plantains

• 300 gdried black beans
• 2 lcold water (for soaking, discarded)
• 1.5 lfresh water (for cooking)
• 1green bell pepper (seeded and halved)
• 1yellow onion (peeled and halved)
• 4 clovegarlic (crushed)
• 1 leafbay leaf
• 1 tbspvegetable oil
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt
• 1 tbspgrated panela
• 6 sprigcilantro
• 750 gflank steak
• 1.5 lwater
• 1red bell pepper (seeded and quartered)
• 2 leafbay leaves
• 1 tspblack peppercorns
• 3ripe tomatoes (peeled, seeded, and chopped)
• 1 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tbspWorcestershire sauce
• 0.5 tspground black pepper
• 240 mlreserved beef broth
• 370 glong-grain white rice
• 3ripe plantains (yellow-black skins, sliced lengthwise into 1 cm planks)

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the black beans in 2 l cold water for 8 to 12 hours, then drain and rinse them. Put the beans in a heavy pot with 1.5 l fresh water, the halved green bell pepper, halved onion, 4 crushed garlic cloves, and 1 bay leaf.

2. 2

   Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 90 to 120 minutes, until the beans are tender but not broken. Keep the pot partially covered and add 240 ml hot water only if the beans become exposed before they soften.

3. 3

   While the beans cook, place the flank steak in a second pot with 1.5 l water, the quartered onion, quartered red bell pepper, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp peppercorns. Simmer gently for 75 to 90 minutes, until the meat separates easily with a fork.

4. 4

   Transfer the cooked beef to a board and strain the broth through a fine sieve. Reserve 240 ml broth for the shredded beef, then pull the meat into fine strands with two forks, following the grain so it becomes traditionally stringy and light.

5. 5

   Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide skillet over medium heat and cook the diced onion and diced red bell pepper for 8 minutes, until soft and glossy. Add the minced garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tsp cumin, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp salt, and 0.5 tsp black pepper, then cook for 6 minutes until the sofrito thickens.

6. 6

   Add the shredded beef and 240 ml reserved broth to the sofrito, stirring until the meat is evenly coated. Simmer uncovered for 18 to 22 minutes, until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the beef is moist, savory, and lightly sauced rather than soupy.

7. 7

   Finish the beans by removing the cooked pepper, onion halves, cilantro stems if any, and bay leaf from the pot. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small skillet, bloom 1 tsp cumin for 20 seconds, then stir this into the beans with 1.5 tsp salt, 1 tbsp grated panela, and 6 cilantro sprigs; simmer for 10 minutes so the broth turns dark and creamy.

8. 8

   Rinse the rice under cool running water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain it well. Combine the rice, 720 ml water, 1 tbsp oil, and 1 tsp salt in a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover tightly, and cook over low heat for 16 minutes before resting off the heat for 10 minutes.

9. 9

   Heat 90 ml vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat until it reaches 170°C. Fry the plantain planks for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deeply golden at the edges, then drain them on a rack and season with 0.25 tsp salt.

10. 10

    To serve, place a mound of white rice on each plate, spoon black beans beside it, add a generous portion of shredded beef, and arrange the fried plantains along the edge. Keep the components distinct on the plate, because the identity of pabellon criollo comes from the visible contrast of white rice, black beans, brown beef, and golden plantains.