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Hallacas (Venezuelan Tamales)
Recipe courtesy of Hispanic Kitchen
member Elianne
Gonzalez
Ingredients for the stew:
2 to 3 lbs of finely chopped beef for stew
1½ lbs of fine chopped pork meat
1 small jar of capers
32 oz jar gardener’s pickled vegetables
1 cup of raisins
1 cup of green olives
2 leeks, washed and dried
2 bunch of green onions
1 head of garlic peeled
1 green or red chopped pepper
Bunch of parsley
Bunch of cilantro
2 big onions
2-3 chopped tomatoes
2-3 cups of chicken broth
Hot peppers or ají (chili) to taste
Salt, seasoning cubes or chicken broth cubes to taste
Black pepper
Sugar
Sweet red wine
Olive oil
Directions:
Chop the meats into very small bits, mixing in a portion of 2 parts beef, one part pork, and seasoned to taste. Cut all other ingredients, either in a food processor or by hand, combining all ingredients on the list from 3 to 12 and half of the onions.
In a big, deep frying pan, heat olive oil to sear onions, tomatoes and ají until half cooked then start adding the meat and vegetable mixture in alternating lumps. Use the wine and broth to keep the mixture wet and saucy. Add salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle a bit of sugar too. Once the meat is cooked, turn off heat and let it cool.
When possible, I like to mix the raw meat mixture with half the condiment mix, wine and seasoning, and keep it in the refrigerator overnight to be cooked as above the following day before assembly. The assembly process can last 6 hours or longer, depending on the experience and amount of helpers.
Ingredients for the dough and assembly:
1. 2 packages of pre-cooked corn flower used for arepas brand name PAN
2. 8-10 cups of chicken broth
3. 1-2 cups of vegetable cooking oil
4. Onoto – Annatto seeds – about 1 cup
5. Salt
6. Thinly sliced red or green peppers (about 2 cups)
7. Sliced onions (about 2 cups)
8. 32 oz jar of olives – without pits
9. Raisins
10. Parsley leaves cut in small branches
11. White pealed almonds
12. 1-2 cans of cooked chick peas (garbanzos)
13. Cooked chicken shredded into small size pieces– from cooking the broth
14. Plantains leaves, rinsed with a cloth.
15. Cooking string to tie the plantain leaves wrapping the dough
Assembly of the hallaca
Once you're ready to proceed, there are 4 big steps to follow: cook the stew, make the dough, clean the leaves and assemble the hallacas.
Once the stew is cooked, start on the dough. Heat the vegetable cooking oil with onoto (annatto) seeds until the oil turns deep orange/red from the annatto. Add 2/3 of that oil to half the chicken broth, and about 2 cups of water and 1 package of corn flour. Add salt to taste and keep adding more flour, broth, water and oil until achieving a soft consistency that can be molded easily. Separate the dough in fist-size balls and keep them covered with a damp cloth.
Even if you have access to fresh plantains leaves, it is much better using frozen ones. These are usually available at the frozen food section of most supermarkets. Defrost them outside the refrigerator, rinsing them with a clean, damp cloth. Separate the covers by size since you will need to wrap them at least in two layers. Keep them moist by covering them with a damp cloth.
In different containers, place ingredients 6-15 from the assembly list. Arrange people helping with the hallacas to work in stations around these ingredients. In a clean plantain leaf drop some annatto oil and spread the dough very thin, add a big spoonful of stew and a bit of each decorative ingredient from list 6-15; fold the dough with the help of the leaf. Close the hallaca; cover it with another leaf and tie it with several lines of string, finishing with a knot. Once all hallacas are tied, bring them to boil in a big pan with water and salt for about 1 hour. Repeat as needed until all the dough and stew is used. Depending of the size of the leaves, dough and generosity of the assembly line workers, the result would be about 4 to 5 dozen hallacas.
When there is left over dough, is customary to combine some stew and other ingredients and make what is called “bollitos.” Everything is mixed together and wrapped into smaller hallaca size items, tied and boiled in water for about 45 minutes.
Now the tradition is to open a few hallacas from the first batch to taste and try among the cooks, and to share some with those who helped making them, as well as with family and friends. Want my address to send me one? Better, e-mail me to tell me how you like them!
¡Felices Fiestas!
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Ingredients for the stew:
2 to 3 lbs of finely chopped beef for stew
1½ lbs of fine chopped pork meat
1 small jar of capers
32 oz jar gardener’s pickled vegetables
1 cup of raisins
1 cup of green olives
2 leeks, washed and dried
2 bunch of green onions
1 head of garlic peeled
1 green or red chopped pepper
Bunch of parsley
Bunch of cilantro
2 big onions
2-3 chopped tomatoes
2-3 cups of chicken broth
Hot peppers or ají (chili) to taste
Salt, seasoning cubes or chicken broth cubes to taste
Black pepper
Sugar
Sweet red wine
Olive oil
Directions:
Chop the meats into very small bits, mixing in a portion of 2 parts beef, one part pork, and seasoned to taste. Cut all other ingredients, either in a food processor or by hand, combining all ingredients on the list from 3 to 12 and half of the onions.
In a big, deep frying pan, heat olive oil to sear onions, tomatoes and ají until half cooked then start adding the meat and vegetable mixture in alternating lumps. Use the wine and broth to keep the mixture wet and saucy. Add salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle a bit of sugar too. Once the meat is cooked, turn off heat and let it cool.
When possible, I like to mix the raw meat mixture with half the condiment mix, wine and seasoning, and keep it in the refrigerator overnight to be cooked as above the following day before assembly. The assembly process can last 6 hours or longer, depending on the experience and amount of helpers.
Ingredients for the dough and assembly:
1. 2 packages of pre-cooked corn flower used for arepas brand name PAN
2. 8-10 cups of chicken broth
3. 1-2 cups of vegetable cooking oil
4. Onoto – Annatto seeds – about 1 cup
5. Salt
6. Thinly sliced red or green peppers (about 2 cups)
7. Sliced onions (about 2 cups)
8. 32 oz jar of olives – without pits
9. Raisins
10. Parsley leaves cut in small branches
11. White pealed almonds
12. 1-2 cans of cooked chick peas (garbanzos)
13. Cooked chicken shredded into small size pieces– from cooking the broth
14. Plantains leaves, rinsed with a cloth.
15. Cooking string to tie the plantain leaves wrapping the dough
Assembly of the hallaca
Once you're ready to proceed, there are 4 big steps to follow: cook the stew, make the dough, clean the leaves and assemble the hallacas.
Once the stew is cooked, start on the dough. Heat the vegetable cooking oil with onoto (annatto) seeds until the oil turns deep orange/red from the annatto. Add 2/3 of that oil to half the chicken broth, and about 2 cups of water and 1 package of corn flour. Add salt to taste and keep adding more flour, broth, water and oil until achieving a soft consistency that can be molded easily. Separate the dough in fist-size balls and keep them covered with a damp cloth.
Even if you have access to fresh plantains leaves, it is much better using frozen ones. These are usually available at the frozen food section of most supermarkets. Defrost them outside the refrigerator, rinsing them with a clean, damp cloth. Separate the covers by size since you will need to wrap them at least in two layers. Keep them moist by covering them with a damp cloth.
In different containers, place ingredients 6-15 from the assembly list. Arrange people helping with the hallacas to work in stations around these ingredients. In a clean plantain leaf drop some annatto oil and spread the dough very thin, add a big spoonful of stew and a bit of each decorative ingredient from list 6-15; fold the dough with the help of the leaf. Close the hallaca; cover it with another leaf and tie it with several lines of string, finishing with a knot. Once all hallacas are tied, bring them to boil in a big pan with water and salt for about 1 hour. Repeat as needed until all the dough and stew is used. Depending of the size of the leaves, dough and generosity of the assembly line workers, the result would be about 4 to 5 dozen hallacas.
When there is left over dough, is customary to combine some stew and other ingredients and make what is called “bollitos.” Everything is mixed together and wrapped into smaller hallaca size items, tied and boiled in water for about 45 minutes.
Now the tradition is to open a few hallacas from the first batch to taste and try among the cooks, and to share some with those who helped making them, as well as with family and friends. Want my address to send me one? Better, e-mail me to tell me how you like them!
¡Felices Fiestas!
To print this page, "CTRL P" on your keyboard or use this environmentally friendly printing tool:
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