Venezuelan Hallacas

Name: Venezuelan Hallacas
Total time: 150 min
Cuisine: Venezuelan recipes
Ingredients: 0.5 kg of boneless beef; 0.5 kg of pork, diced (preferably pork loin); 0.5 chicken breast, cut into small pieces; 0.5 kg of bacon; 2 medium onions, finely diced; 2 tbsp chopped garlic; 1 tbsp ground oregano; 1 tbsp de Ground cumin; 1 tbsp black pepper; 1 tbsp de Panela Pulverizada GOYA; 1 splash red cooking wine; 1 bag de Banana leaf; 1 splash sunflower oil; 1 cup lard; 0.25 cup de Nativo Achiote Paste; 0.5 bag de White Masarepa; 10 cups water for boiling; 1 roll kitchen string; 3 cubes de Goya Chicken Powder Cubes; 1 pinch salt, to taste; 4 sprigs finely chopped parsley; 1 cup raisins; 1 cup de Capers jar; 2 cups de Pitted manzanilla olives

Venezuelan recipes

Meat and poultry

Dinner

Medium

150'

A hayaca, or hallaca, is a type of tamal wrapped in banana leaves, made with a corn flour dough and filled with pitted olives, raisins, capers and a rich meat stew. It is then steamed until perfectly cooked. Hallacas are a traditional Christmas dish in Venezuela. Here, we show you how to prepare this delicious recipe, full of different ingredients, flavors and traditions.

Ingredients Preparation Share

Ingredients

For the filling

0.5 kg of boneless beef
0.5 kg of pork, diced (preferably pork loin)
0.5 chicken breast, cut into small pieces
0.5 kg of bacon
2 medium onions, finely diced
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp ground oregano
1 tbsp of Ground cumin
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp of Panela Pulverizada GOYA
1 splash red cooking wine
1 bag of Banana leaf
1 splash sunflower oil

For the hallaca dough

1 cup lard
0.25 cup of Nativo Achiote Paste
0.5 bag of White Masarepa
10 cups water for boiling

For tying

1 roll kitchen string

For assembling the hallacas

3 cubes of Goya Chicken Powder Cubes
1 pinch salt, to taste
4 sprigs finely chopped parsley
1 cup raisins
1 cup of Capers jar
2 cups of Pitted manzanilla olives

Preparation

For the filling:

Cut the beef, pork, chicken and bacon into small pieces. Set aside. Add the onion, spring onion, peppers and garlic to a food processor and blend until you achieve a smooth purée. In a large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon, then add the vegetable purée. Stir well and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture softens slightly. Add the pork, beef and chicken and stir to combine. Add the spices, panela and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for around 4 hours, stirring frequently, until the meat is fully cooked and can be easily shredded. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. For best results, refrigerate the stew overnight.

Preparing the banana leaves:

Wash the leaves with water and wipe them thoroughly with a damp cloth. Dry them with a clean, dry cloth. Separate the leaves into two sizes: the larger leaves will hold the dough and filling, while the smaller ones will be used to wrap and protect the hallacas while they cook. Remove the central stem from the leaves to make them easier to fold.

Preparing the dough:

Add the water to a pot and bring to a boil. Dissolve the chicken bouillon cubes in the water, stir well and remove from the heat. Separately, heat the lard and achiote paste in a frying pan until the lard has melted and the achiote releases its color. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Place the Masarepa in a large bowl and gradually add the chicken broth and the butter at room temperature. Knead vigorously, then add the achiote-infused lard and salt to taste. The dough should be smooth and have a yellowish color. Divide the dough into equal-sized balls.

Assembling and wrapping the hallacas:

Lightly brush a large banana leaf with vegetable oil. Place one ball of dough in the center of the leaf. Using your hands, spread the dough out in a circular motion until it reaches a thickness similar to the one shown in the video. Add one and a half tablespoons of the filling, including some of its juices, to the center of the dough. Top with 2 onion slices, 1 strip of pepper, 1 sprig of parsley, 3 raisins, 2 chickpeas, 2 capers, 2 olives and a small piece of bacon.
To wrap the hallacas, bring the wider edges of the banana leaf together at the top. Fold them over until the hallaca is completely sealed. Fold the two remaining ends inward and wrap everything with the smaller banana leaf. Tie the hallacas with pre-cut kitchen string, approximately 1.5 meters long. Wrap the string around the hallaca three times in each direction, horizontally and vertically, and secure with a knot or bow.
Bring water to a boil over high heat in a large pot. Add the hallacas, cover and cook over low heat for 1½ hours. Repeat the process with the remaining hallacas. You can also cook them in two pots at the same time.
Remove the pot from the heat and drain the hallacas. We recommend placing them upright while they drain. Leave them to cool, then store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. As hallacas take time to prepare, they are usually made in large batches. They can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
To reheat the hallacas, bring water to a boil in a deep pot over high heat. Add as many hallacas as you would like to reheat, making sure they are completely covered with water. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, drain the hallacas, cut off the kitchen string, remove the banana leaves and serve. Enjoy!