Name: Pabellón criollo (Venezuelan shredded beef, black beans, rice and plantain)
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 800g beef flank, in one piece, or beef skirt; 1.5l water, for simmering the beef; 1 onion, peeled and halved; 1 bay leaf; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped, for the beef sauce; 1 red pepper, finely diced; 4 garlic cloves, crushed, half for the beef and half for the beans; 3 tomatoes, chopped; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 3 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 4 tsp salt; 2 400 g tins black beans, drained and rinsed; 1 small onion, finely chopped, for the beans; 1 green pepper, finely diced; 2 tbsp olive oil, for the beans; 200ml water, for the beans; 300g long grain white rice; 550ml water, for the rice; 1 tbsp vegetable oil, for the rice; 3 ripe plantains, yellow with black patches; 4 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying the plantain; 15g fresh coriander, leaves chopped

Pabellón criollo (Venezuelan shredded beef, black beans, rice and plantain)

Venezuela's national plate: soft shredded beef in tomato and pepper sauce, black beans, fluffy white rice and sweet fried plantain.

Time2 hr 45

LevelMedium

Costabout £4.00 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

Estimated nutrition per serving

1407kcal
126.6gcarbs
13.8gof which sugars
65.4gfat
22.9gsaturates
70.4gprotein
20.7gfibre
7.1gsalt

A rough estimate worked out from the ingredients, for the serving size above. It is a guide only and not medical advice. If you count carbs or manage diabetes, check with your own tools and your care team.

4 servings

Method

1
Put the beef, halved onion, bay leaf and 1 tsp of the salt in a large pot and add 1500 ml water. Bring to the boil, skim off any foam, then cover partly and simmer gently for 2 hours, until the beef shreds easily with a fork.
120 min
2
Lift the beef onto a board and keep 150 ml of the cooking liquid. When it is cool enough to handle, shred the beef along the grain into fine strands.
3
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan. Cook the chopped onion and red pepper for 8 minutes until soft. Add half the garlic, 2 tsp cumin and the paprika for 1 minute, then the tomatoes and tomato purée. Cook for 10 minutes into a thick sauce. Stir in the beef, the reserved liquid and 1 tsp salt and simmer for 20 minutes, until moist and well coated.
20 min
4
For the beans, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan and cook the small onion and green pepper for 6 minutes. Add the rest of the garlic and 1 tsp cumin for 1 minute, then the beans, 200 ml water and 1 tsp salt. Simmer for 20 minutes, mashing a few beans, until thick.
20 min
5
Rinse the rice. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a lidded pan, stir the rice for 1 minute, add 550 ml water and the last 1 tsp salt and bring to the boil. Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 12 minutes, then rest covered for 10 minutes.
12 min
6
Peel the plantains and cut them in 1 cm slices on the diagonal. Fry in 4 tbsp vegetable oil in batches for 2 minutes on each side, until deep golden and caramelised at the edges. Drain on kitchen paper.
7
Serve the rice, beans, beef and plantain side by side on each plate, scattered with coriander. A fried egg on top is a popular addition.