Recipe(tried): Venezuelan Christmas Hallacas

VENEZUELAN CHRISTMAS HALLACAS also served in Colombia

Hallacas [ay-YAH-kahs] are served as both an appetizer and main dish.

Makes 24 hallacas

Hallacas, more than any other food, symbolize Christmas for Venezuelans. Delicious meaty morsals are surrounded by a tender dough, then steamed to perfection in colorful banana leaves.

If you are fortunate to have access to these large, beautiful banana leaves, plan on using them for truly authentic results.

MEAT FILLING:

1 pound top round, cut into 1/4-to 1/2 inch-dice
1 pound lean pork, cut into 1/4-to 1/2-inch dice
1/4 pound bacon strips, cut into 1/2-inch lenths
3 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 onion, peeled
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons marjoram
1 medium-sized leek, diced
1/4 cup capers
1 tablespoon mustard relish pickles, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 bell pepper, cut into 1/4-to-1/2-inch dice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup raisins

Put beef, pork, and bacon in a large pan. Puree the tomatoes with the peeled onion and garlic. Add mixture to the meat pan along with the salt, marjoram, and leek. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and continue cooking until all meat is tender, about 2 hours.

When meat is tender, add to the meat mixture the capers, mustard pickles, vinegar, bell pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Salt and pepper to taste.

Raise the heat to high and cook the filling, stirring, until almost all liquid in the pan has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add the raisins and set filling aside.

MASA DOUGH:

2/3 cup lard or vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon annatto (achiote) seeds (optional for colour)
2 cups masa harina flour (dehydrated, treated corn flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/3 cups warm water

Over a low heat, melt 1/3 cup lard with the annatto seeds. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes.

Whip remaining lard until fluffy. Beat in masa harina, salt, cayenne peper, and water. Finally, beat in melted, strained lard, discarding annatto seeds. Form dough into 24 balls.

FINAL PREPARATIONS:

24 dried corn husks (or 24 9-inch squares parchment paper or tinfoil
1 pound cooked, shredded chicken meat
4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
1/4 cup blanched almonds
2 ounces pimentos, sliced
5 ounces pimento-stuffed olives, cut in half
Tabasco sauce

Put a ball of Masa Dough in the center of each corn husk. Flatten dough out to 1/8-inch thickness. Top each masa-coated husk with an equal distribution of the meat mixture, chicken, hard cooked eggs, almonds, pimentos, and olives. Sprinkle on Tabasco sauce to taste.

Fold corn husks to completely encase the filling. Tie each hallaca with thin strips of corn husk or kitchen string. When tightly assembled, steam halacas for 1 hour. Serve piping hot.

NOTE: Hallacas are easily refrigerated or frozen. Reheat by steaming again until hot.