Juanny's Venezuelan Hallacas

prep time:: 1 hr
total time:: 2 hr

Serves 6

A traditonal Venezuelan form of a tamale. It’s origin is unclear. It could have arisen for the Spanish colonists homesickness for their tasty and elaborate meals. On this view we might relate the Hallaca to the Empanada Gallega (a pasty from Galicia). The filling is basically similar, with maize substituting for flour and the banana leaf wrapping filling, the lack of the iron moulds the colonists could have used hard they brought them from Spain. Another an alternative theory attributes the Hallaca to Venezuelan rich ranches where servants and slaves used the leftovers from the tables of their masters, whose meals had a distinctly European character. Adapting these eclectic ingredients to their African and indigenous tastes, the slaves created one of the most creative, flavourful and richly seasoned Latin-American dish.

ingredients

1 1/2 lb diced beef
1 1/2 lb diced pork
2 cups water
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup canned chickpeas
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 tomatoes, chopped
4 onions, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
1/2 tsp dried ground chili peppers
4 Tbsp chopped parsley
4 tsp salt
3 Tb vinegar
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp capers
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup sliced stuffed olives
3 cups corn meal
4 cups boiling water
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten

directions

Step One: Combining Ingredients

1
Combine the beef, pork, water, and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes. Drain and chop coarsely. Add the chickpeas, mixing lightly. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the tomatoes, onions, peppers, chili, parsley, 2 tsp of the salt, vinegar, sugar, and the meat mixture. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the capers, raisins, and olives. Mix lightly. Set aside.
2
Mix the corn meal with a little cold water. Add to the boiling water in a saucepan, stirring constantly. Add the butter and remaining salt. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the eggs, beating until a smooth dough is formed. Butter a 3-quart round or square baking dish. Line it with 2/3 of the corn meal mixture and pour the meat mixture into it. Spread the remaining corn meal on top. Cover the dish with a piece of foil and tie it. Place in a pan of water. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Second Step: Wrapping the Hallacas

In Venezuela the dish is prepared in the form of tamales. Banana leaves are used for wrapping the hallacas, but foil or parchment paper will serve as a substitute. Cut 10-inch squares of either paper. Spread about 4 Tb of the corn meal dough in the center and press as thin as possible. Place 2 Tbsp of the meat mixture on the dough and fold over, sealing the edges as well as possible. If the dough breaks, patch it with a little more dough. Fold the paper around the hallacas carefully and tie it securely. If foil is used, it is not necessary to tie it. Boil in a large saucepan of salted water for 1.5 hours. Serve in the papers.

Source: Lizzy