Wednesdays Wonders: Hallacas the Tamales of the Llano

By -
Hallacas are the Tamales of the Llano. It is served during important holidays throughout the region. These are popular in Venezuela also, but every recipe that I have read has been very different from this one and from each other. If you do not like this version, just google another :)


Ingredients
2 pounds of chicken
2 pounds of beef (preferably a pot roast)
2 pounds of pork5 eggs (boiled and sliced)
1 1/4 pounds of arepa flour

The following are all finely chopped and some are doubled -- once for the marinade, and once again for the Sauce (Guiso). Some recipes include tomato, others do not. The woman that gave me this recipe did not use tomato.

1/2 head of garlic x 2
2 pounds of onion x 2
1/2 teaspoon oregano x 2
1/2 Tablespoon cumin x 2
1/2 teaspoon annatto (achiote) x 2
1/3 cup chopped cilantro x 2
Salt to taste
1/2 pound green peppers

BANANA LEAVES -- these can be found frozen in many Latino Grocery stores.

Makes 20 Tamales

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Marinate the meat in all of the condiments over night.
2. Place the meat and marinade in a large pot and add enough water to cover and cook until the meats are soft. (Another option is to place the meats in a crock pot with water and put them to cook for 8-10 hours). You may need to take the chicken out early as it will get soft sooner than the other meats.
3. Once the meats are soft cut them into small pieces and set aside. DO NOT THROW AWAY WATER.
4. Separately, make a sauce of the onion, garlic, cilantro, peppers, sal, achiote, and oregano.
5. Place the water from the cooked meat into a large pot and bring to a low boil, gradually add the arepa harina stirring constantly so that you don't get lumps. Turn off the heat as the dough begins to thicken.
6. Once dough has cooled a little, smooth about 3/4 cup onto the center of the banana leaf.
7. On top of the dough place a healthy dose of meats and 2 slices of egg.
8. Fold the banana leaf around the dough and tie with string.
9. Steam in a large pot for 2 hours.
10. Serve.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Popular Colombian Names

By -
Recently, I was asked to write a post on Colombian names, and popular Colombian names. I had a hard time finding a list, but eventually I did find one. According to I.N.E. - Instituto Nacional de Estadística, -- unfortunately, when I found this it doesn't say the year -- the most common Colombian boys names across all ages are: 1 JUAN CARLOS 2 CARLOS ALBERTO 3 ALEXANDER 4 ANDRES FELIPE 5 LUIS FERNANDO 6 DIEGO FERNANDO 7 JHON JAIRO 8 CARLOS ANDRES 9 ALEJANDRO 10 JUAN DAVID The girls are: 1 SANDRA MILENA 2 LUZ MARINA 3 CAROLINA 4 PAULA ANDREA 5 CLAUDIA PATRICIA 6 MARIA EUGENIA 7 PAOLA ANDREA 8 DANIELA 9 LILIANA 10 MARTHA CECILIA Just as here, names go through ebb and flow. Fourteen years ago when we were married, I attended several baby baptisms and met numerous friends of my husband. At the time, it seemed like everyone was naming their kid Juan CAMILO (boy) or Maria CAMILA (girl). I met dozens of them. Then, about 7 years later, I heard tons of SANTIAGO, JULIAN, SEBASTIAN and FE
Read more

Muisca Indigenous Names, from Hunza (Tunja)

By -
In response to this week’s posts on names, I have received several e-mails asking about the names of famous Colombians and their stories and about Indigenous names. I plan to spend the next three days sharing some of them. Also, I will continue to post more in the future and you will be able to find them all by clicking on the NAMES link the LABELS section to the right of the blog. Name: AQUIMÍN ( pronounced: ah key MEAN) or AQUIMINZAQUE (pronounced: ah key mean ZAH kay) When the Spanish arrived on the plains of Bogotá, 1536, they found a great nation. In fact, it was the third largest group of indigenous inhabitants in America. They called themselves the Muiscas , which meant ‘the people’. Their language was called Chibcha . The Muiscas were not a united group, but rather a collection of city states. The majority of the power was held by two main cities – what today are called Bogotá and Tunja (in Boyacá). These two cities were mortal enemies and each enlisted the loy
Read more

La Madremonte

By -
Image
The myth of the Madremonte (Mother Mountain), and I do say myth though many campesinos in Colombia believe in her today, has it's roots in the indigenous cultures of Colombia and is known throughout much of Colombia including Antioquia, Caldas, Arauca, Caqueta, Amazonas, Guainia, and perhaps more departments. The Madremonte looks like a large woman. She has large, bony hands, large teeth and Betty Davis Eyes -- which on closer examination glow. Her body is covered in leaves and moss. Her hair is a tangled mess of plants and moss which often covers her face. She lives in the mountains and jungles, (in Antioquia and Caldas she lives in swamps where streams are born. People who claim to have seen her, usually report to have done so near thickets and bushes in jungle like areas. Others report having heard her bloodcurdling screams and groans on stormy nights. She rules the winds, the rains, and all the vegetation, and her role is to protect nature. She punishes those who invad
Read more