Makes 10-12
Prepare the meat
Place two medium sweet onions (chopped)
3
cloves of garlic (chopped)
¼
teaspoon of cumin
1
teaspoon of Kosher salt
2
cans of small chilies
2
cans of crushed or whole tomatoes
And 1 pound of skirt steak, or flank steak, or beef chuck in
a large Tupperware container with a tight lid. Marinade for 2 to 8 hours
(depending on how much time you have).
In a large sauce pan lay the steak so it has room and bring the mixture
to a boil for 10-15 minutes. Then simmer
for 4-6 hours.
Remove the
meat, let it cool, then shred it to bite size and set it aside.
In a food
processor mix juice from the sauce pan.
Then mix the
meat and the juices back together.
Prepare the dough
In a large bowl
add 2 ½ cups of warm water
1
teaspoon of Kosher salt
Whisk in 2 cups of PAN (PAN can be bought in most large
supermarkets or any Latin American ethnic store – see picture).
Stir well and
let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then add
more flour as needed as you form in your hands an arepa the size of a large
thick hamburger.
On a large
sheet of wax paper flatten the dough ball into a circle about 5 to 6 inches in
diameter.
Prepare arepas
Pre-heat the
oven to 375°. Oil a cookie sheet pan
with vegetable oil or olive oil. Brush both
sides of the arepa with oil and bake for about 20 minutes or until a light
brown coat has formed on the outside.
Remove from
the oven and let stand for about 5 minutes.
Then using a serrated knife cut the arepa almost in half like a
bun. Fill with the meat mixture.
Serve
Arepas are usually
served with black beans and rice.
Platanos are a favorite accompaniment with arepas. You can top them with sour cream, hot sauce,
or your favorite salsa. You can also
stuff them with various things like chicken, cheese, or fish.
Bible Quote
Matthew
6:9-13 – “Give us today our daily bread”