Hallacas Venezolanas
Cornmeal parcels filled with a slow-cooked meat stew, wrapped in plantain leaves and boiled. A Venezuelan Christmas tradition.
- prep
- 2 h
- cook
- 1 h 30 min
- total
- 3 h 30 min
- serves
- 20
- level
- hard
Hallacas reflect the mix of cultures in Venezuelan cooking: a cornmeal dough colored with annatto oil, filled with a rich stew of beef, pork, and chicken studded with raisins, olives, and capers, then wrapped in plantain leaves and boiled. The leaves give the dish a flavor you cannot get any other way.
Like tamales in Mexico, making hallacas is a family affair, usually spread across a full day with everyone taking a station: stewing the filling, cutting the leaves, spreading the dough, or tying the parcels.
method
A day ahead, stew the beef, pork, and chicken with the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and tomatoes, simmering low and slow until the meat is tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick, almost dry filling. Season with salt, cool, and shred or dice finely.
Make the dough by mixing the masa harina with the warm broth, half the annatto oil, and 1 teaspoon salt, kneading until smooth and pliable.
Pass the plantain leaves briefly over an open flame or hot pan on both sides until they soften and turn glossy, then wipe clean.
Brush each leaf with a little annatto oil. Spread a thin, even layer of masa dough in the center.
Add a portion of the meat filling, then a few capers, raisins, and olive slices arranged decoratively on top.
Fold the leaf over the filling into a neat rectangular parcel, then fold in the sides, and tie securely with kitchen string or strips of leaf.
Boil the tied parcels in salted water for 60-75 minutes, until the masa is firm throughout. Drain and let rest 10 minutes before unwrapping.