Arepa Rumbera Image Used Under Creative Commons License From terneritaburger.com
Citizens, the recent situation in Venezuela prompted this particular recipe posting, ironically inspired by a meme that crossed my path yesterday! Regardless of your opinion on the situation, one thing is clear – Venezuela and the United States are now irrevocably joined at the hip for the next few years, possibly longer. Some would say the national dish of Venezuela is the fried corn cake known as an arepa, and a popular sandwich there is the arepa rumbera (arepas stuffed with pulled pork). Since we have just basically slid our pork into Venezuela’s buns, My version uses American-inspired pulled pork in place of the classic pernil! 😉
For the record, this was the meme that inspired me:
#Truth
An arepa (Spanish pronunciation: [aˈɾepa]) is a type of flatbread made of ground maize dough that may be stuffed with a filling, eaten in northern parts of South America since pre-Columbian times, and notable primarily in the cuisine of Venezuela and Colombia, but also present in Bolivia, Ecuador, and Central America. Arepa is commonly eaten in those countries and can be served with accompaniments, such as cheese, cuajada (fresh cheese), various types of meat, avocado, or diablito (deviled ham spread).
It can also be split to make sandwiches such as arepa rumbera and many other styles. Sizes, maize types, and added ingredients vary based on preparation. It is similar to the Mexican gordita, the Salvadoran pupusa, the Ecuadorian tortilla de maíz, and the Panamanian tortilla or changa.
The arepa is a pre-Columbian dish from the area that is now Colombia, Panama and Venezuela. Instruments used to make flour for the arepas, and the clay slabs on which they were cooked, were often found at archaeological sites in the area. Although it has not been specified in which country an arepa was cooked for the first time, it has been possible to define the oldest dates of the presence of maize in Colombia and Venezuela. For example, in Colombia, the first record of the presence of corn cultivation dates from about 6,000 years ago. However, the presence of arepas dates from 3,000 years ago (specifically in the Altiplano Cundiboyacense by the Muisca), while in Venezuela, the estimate is about 2,800 years ago.
Throughout its history, the arepa has stayed mainly unchanged from the arepas that pre-Columbian native peoples would have consumed, making the arepa one of the few pre-contact traditions that have remained popular in the years since colonization. The name arepa is related to erepa, the word for ‘cornbread’ in the Cumanagoto language.
The arepa is a flat, round, unleavened patty of soaked, ground kernels of maize, or – more frequently nowadays – maize meal or maize flour. It can be grilled, baked, fried, boiled, or steamed. The characteristics vary by color, flavor, size, and the food with which it may be stuffed, depending on the region. Simple arepas are filled with butter or cheese and baked. Depending on the meal, more filling varieties can be added with combinations of ingredients like beans, meat, avocados, eggs, tomatoes, salad, shrimp, or fish.
Fried arepas are often consumed in northern South America, filled with white cheese on top and served with fried eggs. Sweet fried arepas are another variety often prepared with sugarloaf (papelón) and anise (anís). Venezuelan white cheese is another topping for fried arepas that can be combined with feta cheese.
Initially, arepa flour was made by grinding maize at home. In the 1950s, precooked arepa flour was invented by Dr. Luis Caballero Mejías [es], a Venezuelan engineer, and became an instant success. The flour is mixed with water and salt, and occasionally oil, butter, eggs or milk. As the flour is already cooked, the blend forms into patties easily. After being kneaded and formed, the patties are fried, grilled, or baked. Some varieties of arepas are made with “peeled” corn using the nixtamalization process; they are known as arepa pelada.
Arepa flour is specially prepared (cooked in water, then dried) for making arepas and other maize dough-based dishes, such as hallacas, bollos, tamales, empanadas, atole and chicha. The flour may be called masarepa, masa de arepa, masa al instante, or harina precocida. It is not nixtamalized. The most popular brand names of maize flour are Harina PAN and Harina Juana in Venezuela produced by the companies Alimentos Polar and Monaca; Doñarepa in Colombia produced by the company Harinera del Valle; and Goya elsewhere.
However, in countries such as Colombia, it is not common to reconstitute corn flour as it is in Venezuela. Thus, in Colombia, it is more common to see pre-roasted arepas ready for consumption in stores and supermarkets, giving rise to an industry that in 2019 alone had sales of USD $124 million with companies such as Arepas Sary and Alpina Productos Alimenticios.
The dish is known in multiple cuisines. According to food anthropologist Ocarina Castillo of the Central University of Venezuela, the dish is likely thousands of years old and originated in the region now occupied by the two countries before colonizers of the area drew borders. Arepa rumbera seems to be unique to Venezuela, however.
Venezuela:
The arepa is a symbol of Venezuelan gastronomy and one of the most common pre-Hispanic foods still popular in Venezuela. The first records of this dish are about 2800 years ago. According to a 2015 survey of the Venezuelan people, nearly 70 percent of the nation ate arepas regularly. It is common for Venezuelans to eat arepas throughout the day, both as snacks and as sides to meals, creating a culture where these corn products (Harina PAN) can be found almost everywhere and in specific restaurants called areperas.
The arepa (and by extension, the arepa rumbera!) is seen as a cornerstone of a Venezuelan diet; prior to the 2015 food shortages, it was estimated that each year the average Venezuelan consumed about 30 kilos of the corn flour used to make arepas. Venezuelan arepas are commonly filled with a great variety of different fillings, from beef and avocado to cheese, varying widely by the location of where they are sold and the ingredients that can be obtained. In Venezuela’s Andes region, arepas de trigo are made with wheat flour rather than cornmeal. These lighter arepas are generally eaten as a snack or an accompaniment to heavier meals.
(Former) Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro “has tried to use arepas as a nationalist rallying point, if not a political tool, claiming the food is from his country alone”, according to the New York Times. It didn’t work, obviously…
Bolivia:
Bolivian arepas are made from corn. There are different ways to prepare arepas, but one of the most traditional is the Cotoca recipe. Several varieties of arepa can be found in the country, such as the Cruceña and Andina varieties.
Colombia:
The first record of the existence of arepas dates from about 3,000 years ago in what is currently Colombia. The arepa is an iconic food in Colombia, with some 75 distinct preparation forms. According to a study conducted by the Colombian Academy of Gastronomy, the arepa is part of the Colombian cultural heritage and can be considered a symbol of national gastronomic unity.In 2006, the arepa was named the cultural symbol of Colombia in a competition organized by Semana magazine with support from Caracol Televisión, the Ministry of Culture and ‘Colombia is Passion’.
In the Paisa region, the arepa is especially important to the local people and sometimes accompanies all meals of the day. In addition, arepas are strung into necklaces and placed around the necks of honored dignitaries as a sign of praise. Many varieties of arepa were introduced from this region.
In Colombia, the arepa is sold commercially in neighborhood stores, chain supermarkets, and market plazas and packaged with preservatives as a pre-molded white or yellow corn dough ready to grill or fry at home. It is also sold in the form of industrialized corn flour that requires hydration before preparation. In addition, arepas are sold by street vendors, in cafeterias, and in neighborhood stores.
Costa Rica:
In the Province of Guanacaste, arepas are prepared in the form of large, toasted sponge cakes, seasoned with Bagaces type cheese. In Cartago, during colonial times, arepas were filled with pork.
Puerto Rico:
In Puerto Rico, mainly in the San Juan area and beach sides, arepas are popular. They can also be found in some restaurants, almost always as arepas de coco. The Puerto Rican arepa is made with wheat flour, coconut milk, coconut oil, baking powder, and sugar. They can be fried, baked, or cooked on a grill. Once done, the arepa is cut open and stuffed. There are countless fillings. Crab, shrimp, and octopus stewed in sofrito, lemon, coconut milk, and ginger, among other ingredients, are the most popular.
Spain:
Arepas are present in the Canary Islands due to population flow between the islands and Venezuela. They are found in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and rarely in the archipelago’s eastern islands. Many of the arepas consumed in the islands’ bars and restaurants are fried. Some incorporate ingredients from local gastronomy such as soft cheese or Canary plantain.
While there are near infinite fillings available for arepas, My personal favorite is the arepa rumbera (for those of you who don’t speak Spanish, yes, that’s “party arepa”), which is filled with roasted pig that’s tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Traditionally, Venezuelan pernil (pulled pork) is made quite differently than what I am putting into My recipe – but then, your arepa rumbera wouldn’t have the gringo experience that has just been inserted into Venezuela’s buns, would it? 😉
Should you indeed wish to make arepa rumbera with proper Venezuelan pernil, I am sharing this “muy autentico abuella” version from p-art-y.blogspot.com:
Ingredients:
Pork shoulder (boned)
Onions
Green Peppers
Garlic
Chicken bouillon
Olive Oil
Brown Mustard
Worcestershire sauce
Leeks
White Wine
Put all the ingredients (except the pork of course) in a blender or food processor until you have a paste (here is the personal touch, as there are no measurements, taste as you go so the paste is not too salty or too bland). To give you an idea, this is how much of everything I used this time: 1 large onion (about the size of a softball), 3 medium bell peppers, half a head of garlic (I like garlic), a cup of wine, 6 chicken bouillon cubes, 4 tablespoons of mustard and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. I did not put much salt as the bouillon is salty.
Rinse the pork and bathe with the paste on all sides, place in a covered container or plastic bag and refrigerate to marinate for 24 hours – You can marinate this up to a week before you cook it. Just place the pork in the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator the day before you want to cook it.
Cook the pork on a roaster, put the pork on the grill and place any remaining marinade at the bottom of the roaster, add a little water and if you want potatoes, carrots and onions. A Puerto Rican friend told me to always put the skin or fatty part of the shoulder up. Cover the pork with aluminum foil to conserve the juices while cooking.
Calculate the cooking time at 15 to 20 minutes per pound of meat. Preheat the oven at 180 and cook the pork at this temperature for half of the cooking time. At half time, rotate your roaster and then turn the heat to 350 and cook for the rest of the time. After you raise the oven temperature, check your pork every 45 minutes or so. Checking involves the following: remove the foil paper, baste the pork with its juices, check that the water on the tray has not evaporated, if so add more, put the foil back up again. Uncovered the pork for the last 25 minutes and check that it does not brown too much, if so, cover again.
Once the pork is cooked, remove it from the oven and let stand for 30 minutes before carving so that it retains is juices.
To make gravy, place the roster in the cooker ad pour a little water and white wine. Warm at low heat and with a wooden paddle loosen off all the bits of pork and vegetables that have adhered to the tray. Once it is all off, strain the liquid and put in a pan, taste and add salt and pepper to taste and thicken with a little cornstarch.
And that is it!!! The pork should be very tender and delicious – you can truly cut it with a fork!
Now – to My version of arepa rumbera, for your gustatory and reading pleasure – unlike most of My recipes, the so-called “unusual” ingredients in this recipe are kept to a minimum!
I prefer to use a combination of two cuts for My pulled pork – mostly pork shoulder (aka Boston Butt) with a bit of pork belly to add some richness and additional fat. My preference is for heirloom breeds, as always – in this case, I prefer Gloucestershire Old Spot pig for the pork shoulder used in this recipe, a very rare and incredibly flavorful breed indeed! You can grab it from here, and you’ll only need about ½ of the meat for this recipe – save the rest, it is PRECIOUS! Pork belly is only barely used in this recipe, so just get that from your regular butcher – skin off, please, and a heritage breed if you can get it! Most of the spices used on the pork are classic to U.S. BBQ rubs, though I add an eccentric touch of cocoa powder to add bitterness.
As part of the seasoning in My gringo pulled pork, I use My favorite seasoning salt – Marion-Kay Chicken Seasoning Plus, which is basically KFC’s herbs and spice mix combined with fine salt! It’s great stuff and you can buy a shaker from here – I also combine it with My OTHER favorite seasoning salt, which is Knorr Aromat – buy it here. Braising in Porter-style beer gives a malty, hoppy essence to the pork that is supremely delicious – I prefer to use London Porter in most of My recipes that need that flavor profile, grab a bottle here.
To add some Venezolanos spirit to the gringo filling for My arepa rumbera, I also incorporate a classic Venezuelan Mojo Isleño sauce into the aggregate sauce of My recipe – it is both authentic and delicious!
Mojo, aka Venezuelan green sauce, is a type of sauce that most restaurants have at the table in the same way Americans use salt and pepper – it’s a must. It is on the table for you to use as you wish: as a spread on your bread or hallaquitas, as a sauce for your meat, as a dressing for your potatoes or yuca, even for your soup. Most mojos are prepared with a mixture of herbs, vegetables, oil and vinegar. Every restaurant has their own recipe and ingredients – mine is quite classic in preparation. It very much elevates My arepa rumbera sauce.
For the arepas, there is only ONE brand of corn meal you should use to make arepa rumbera (or ANY arepa) – the classic Venezuelan Harina P.A.N., easily and inexpensively grabbed at Amazon here. Now, as to the cheese that is classically heaped on arepa rumbera – that is typically gouda or a Venezuelan cheese that is not available in the United States. My preferred alternative is a variety of gouda known as “Beemster Vlaskaas” that you can get in most grocery stores or here.
Citizens, the political situation in Venezuela is very tense right now, and we all hope the country can revert back to normalcy now that its dictator (no relation to yours truly, thank you very much!) has been forcefully evacuated from the premises by a pinpoint-accurate Delta Force mission – and with zero loss of Venezuelan life (only Cuban-national mercenaries). I dedicate this recipe for arepa rumbera to all Venezuelan patriots grateful to be liberated and international lovers of exceptional cuisine alike!
Make the pulled pork: preheat oven to 300°. Trim excess fat from pork and cut into largish pieces to fit in a large Dutch oven.
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, Marion-Kay, mustard powder, paprika, cocoa powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin, then season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Rub all over pork. (This can be done the night before.)
In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, heat oil. Working in batches, add pork and sear on all sides. (Spices can burn quickly so don’t let it go for too long!)
Pour beer around pork and cover with lid. Transfer to oven and cook until pork is beginning to turn tender, about 3 hours. Remove lid and cook until pork is very tender and pulls apart easily with a fork, about 45 minutes more. Remove pork from Dutch oven and let rest. Shred pork using two forks. Reserve. Can be made in advance and reheated.
Make the mojo: using a food processor, blend the onions, garlic, parsley, cilantro, and the Fresno chili pepper. After you have blended all the ingredients very well and obtained a green paste, mix in the breadcrumbs with a spoon.
Place the mixture in a pot and add the beef stock, vegetable oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook to a boil, and then continue cooking over medium-high heat for about 6-8 minutes or until it turns a yellow-greenish color and has a thick consistency.
Make the arepas: in a large mixing bowl, combine water, oil, and salt. Mix in Harina P.A.N. until you get until you get a soft dough-like consistency. Add more water or Harina P.A.N. as needed. Let the dough sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
Shape the arepa: separate your dough and roll into small balls (size is up to you, start small and work your way up, depending on how big/thick you want your arepa).
On your repurposed Harina P.A.N. plastic bag or a large beeswax wrap sheet, add some water to wet the sheet.
Place your dough ball on the sheet and begin to pat it down going around the ball in circles until you have a flattened circle dough shape, you’ll want it to be about ¾ – 1 inch thick.
Fry the arepas: on medium-low heat, add oil to a large pan. Once the oil is hot, peel the arepas off your sheet and add to the pan (careful, the oil may jump!). Once the side on the pan is golden brown and crispy, flip to cook the other side – about 7-10 minutes on each side.
Give them an oven finish after frying (5–7 min at 350°F) to firm the interior crumb and improve their ability to hold the filling. Once your arepas are golden brown on each side, transfer them to a plate. Open by slicing carefully down the middle with a butter knife and reserve in a warm, open oven.
Make the sauce: put the oil into a large sauté pan and sauté the onions with the salt, until just starting to pick up some color. Add the red bell pepper and garlic and sauté one minute more. Pull the vegetables to the edges of the pan and add the spices to the hole in the center. Cook them for 10 seconds before mixing them into the vegetables.
Add the salsa, pan drippings, juices and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the volume is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Stir in the reserved mojo. Stir in the pulled pork and heat for 5 minutes.
Fill arepas with the sauced pulled pork and LOTS of gouda. Serve with tomato, avocado, and cilantro on the side and the extra mojo for dipping, if desired.
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