Arepas with Carne Mechada Recipe
Carne mechada for arepas is a stew prepared with beef or veal, preferably skirt steak. It takes a little time to prepare, but the combination of flavors is worth it. In the first phase, the whole meat is cooked with water, sweet bell pepper and onion until it is soft. Then it is grilled and stewed with colorful ingredients. This is how Venezuelan arepas with carne mechada are made.
Equipment
- 1 Meat cooking pot preferably pressurized to save time in the initial phase
- 1 Large frying pan for final meat preparation
- 1 Budare for arepas cooking
Ingredients
Ingredient for initial cooking of the meat
- 4 Tazas Water for cooking meat
- 1 Cucharadita Salt
- 1 Unidad Medium onion
- 1/2 Kilo Beef or beef for larding preferable the skirt type cut
Ingredientes para preparar carne mechada
- 1 Cucharada Butter or oil
- 1 Unidad Large onion chopped in small pieces
- 3 Dientes Crushed garlic
- 1 Unidad Red or green bell pepper chopped in small pieces
- 2 Unidad Ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 Kilo Carne mechada
- 1 Taza Broth in which the meat was cooked
- 1 Unidad Cilantro branch
- 1 Cucharada Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Cucharada Tomato paste
- 1 Pizca Cumin
- 1 Cucharadita Salt
- 1 Pizca Pepper
- 1 Cucharada Mustard
Instructions
Cooking process of meat prior to larding
- Bring the water to a boil in the pot over medium-high heat.
- Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 coarsely chopped onion and the meat.
- Boil until the meat is tender enough to lard. If done in a pressure cooker it will cook faster.
- When the meat is tender, remove from the heat and let it cool a little so you can proceed to grill it, which you can do with your hands or with the help of a fork.
Preparation of the meat after larding
- Place a large skillet over medium-low heat until hot.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter or oil and distribute evenly. Wait at least one minute for it to heat up.
- Add 1 chopped onion, stir well to avoid burning and sauté for a few minutes.
- Add the crushed garlic cloves and continue stirring for one minute,
- Add the shredded meat and mix well with the other ingredients.
- Add the chopped paprika and tomatoes. Stir and mix well.
- Add the cup of broth and stir well, you can add more broth to taste if you want the meat to be juicier.
- Gradually add all the missing ingredients: coriander, 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, the pinch of cumin, salt, pepper and mustard.
- Cook for half an hour at medium low heat. While it is cooking you can prepare the arepas with the basic recipe we have published.
Video
Notes
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information of an arepa with carne mechada may vary depending on the ingredients and the size of the portion. Here is an approximation of its nutritional composition based on a medium size arepa (70 grams) filled with carne mechada: Calories: 250-350 caloriesFat: 10-15 grams
Carbohydrates: 30-35 grams
Protein: 12-15 grams
Fiber: 1-2 grams
Sugars: 1-2 grams
Sodium: 300-400 milligrams It is important to note that the nutritional composition may vary depending on the amount and type of meat used, as well as the additional ingredients used for the marinade or sauce. Also, the addition of cheese or other ingredients may increase the amount of calories and saturated fat.