About this Dish
Venezuela's national dish — four elements on one plate: shredded beef (carne mechada), black beans, white rice and sweet fried plantain (tajadas). Each element is cooked separately and arranged side by side. The combination represents Venezuela's diverse cultural heritage — indigenous, African and Spanish. Every Venezuelan family makes carne mechada differently.
IngredientsServes 4
🥩Flank steak or beef brisket, 600g
🫘Dried black beans, 400g (or 2 cans cooked black beans)
🍚Long grain white rice, 2 cups
🍌Ripe plantains (very yellow with black spots), 2 large
🧅White onion, 2 medium, finely diced
🫑Green bell pepper, 1 large, finely diced
🧄Garlic cloves, 5, minced
🍅Ripe tomatoes, 3 medium, finely diced
🫒Vegetable oil or sunflower oil, 6 tablespoons
🧂Salt, black pepper, ground cumin and dried oregano, to taste
Method
1
If using dried beans, soak them overnight in plenty of cold water. Drain, cover with fresh water in a large pot and boil for 1.5–2 hours until completely tender, adding salt only in the last 20 minutes. If using canned beans, rinse and drain them. In a separate pan, sauté half the onion, half the garlic and a pinch of cumin in oil for 3 minutes, add the beans with a little of their liquid, season well and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes until thick and creamy.2
Place the beef in a pot, cover with water, add a pinch of salt, half an onion and 2 smashed garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours until the meat is very tender and pulls apart easily. Let it cool slightly in the broth, then shred it by hand into long thin strips — this is your carne mechada.3
Make the sofrito for the beef: heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium heat and sauté the remaining onion, garlic and green pepper for 5 minutes until soft and golden. Add the tomatoes, a pinch of cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and cook for another 8 minutes until the mixture is jammy and fragrant. Add the shredded beef, stir well to coat every strand in the sofrito, and cook for 10 more minutes. Add a splash of the beef broth if it looks dry.4
Cook the white rice: rinse it under cold water until the water runs clear. In a pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil, add the rice and stir for 1 minute. Pour in 3.5 cups of water (or beef broth for extra flavour), add salt, bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest heat, cover tightly and cook for 18 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from heat and let it rest covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.5
Peel the plantains and slice them diagonally into pieces about 1cm thick — they must be very ripe and sweet, not green. Heat a generous amount of oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the plantain slices for 2–3 minutes per side until deep golden and caramelised at the edges. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle lightly with salt.6
To serve, arrange all four elements side by side on a large plate: a mound of white rice, a generous spoonful of black beans (with some of their sauce), a pile of carne mechada and several slices of sweet fried plantain. Each person mixes and matches bites at the table — that is the true Venezuelan way to enjoy Pabellón Criollo.7
To plate, arrange all four components side by side on a large plate — a generous mound of white rice, a scoop of black beans with their sauce, a pile of shredded beef and several golden tajadas. Many Venezuelans finish with a drizzle of the bean broth over the rice, so keep a little extra on the table.User Reviews
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