Ingredients
- White corn flour (pre-cooked) – 320 g
- Water – 400 g
- Corn oil – 1 tbsp
- Fine salt – 1 teaspoon
- Beef – brisket 1350 g
- Onions – 350 g
- Red peppers – 350 g
- Garlic cloves – 1 pc
- Water – 500 g
- Rum – 40 g
- Extra virgin olive oil – 2 tbsp
- Smoked paprika – 1 tbsp
- Ground cumin – 1 tbsp
- Black pepper – 1 tbsp
- Avocado – 2 pcs
- Lime juice – 1 pc
- Extra virgin olive oil – 1 tbsp
- Fine salt – to taste
- Edam cheese – 120 g (for grating)
- Parsley – to taste
Preparation
1. Marinating with meat
Place the beef brisket in the dish and season with salt, paprika, cumin and pepper. Massage the meat thoroughly on all sides and leave to stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours. In the meantime, clean and chop the onions and peppers.
2. Cooking meat
After the marinating time, heat the oil in a saucepan and brown the meat on all sides for 10 minutes. Remove the meat and add the onions and peppers to the same saucepan. Add the crushed garlic cloves and stir. After 5 minutes, pour in the rum and allow to evaporate, then put the meat back in the saucepan and add the water. Cover with a lid and simmer over a medium heat for about 2 and a half hours.
3. Making arepas
Towards the end of the cooking process, start making the arepas. Pour the water into a bowl, add the salt and oil and stir to dissolve the salt. Gradually add the cornflour, stirring with your fingertips until you get a soft and smooth dough. Let the dough stand in the bowl for about 3 minutes.
Divide the dough into 8 equal portions of about 90 g each. Shape the dough into balls and press them with the palm of your hand until they are 1.5 cm thick.
4. Frying arepas
Heat a couple of tablespoons of corn oil in a frying pan and fry the arepas over a medium heat for 4 minutes on one side and 3 minutes on the other side, until golden brown and slightly mottled. Keep the cooked arepas temporarily covered with a kitchen towel.
5. Preparation of meat and trimmings
When the meat is cooked, place it in a bowl and chop with a fork, removing the fat and bones. Add the cooking liquid with the vegetables and mix well.
To make the guacamole, cut the avocados in half and place the flesh in a bowl. Add the lime juice, oil and salt and mash with a fork until creamy.
6. Filling the arepas
Cut the arepas in half horizontally and fill with the chopped meat, guacamole, grated Edam cheese and chopped parsley.
Enjoy your delicious arepas with meat!
Storage and tips
Arepas are recommended to be consumed immediately after preparation. Unfilled arepas can be frozen after cooking. If you wish, you can substitute beef with chicken to reduce the cooking time and add fresh cherry tomatoes instead of pepper. You can also use any other cheese you like instead of Edam cheese. If you like coriander, try using fresh coriander instead of parsley!
