Hallacas

Ingredients

• 500g beef chuck, cut into 1cm cubes
• 500g pork shoulder, cut into 1cm cubes
• 400g chicken breast, cut into 1cm cubes
• 3 onions, finely chopped
• 1 leek, finely sliced
• 6 spring onions, sliced
• 1 red pepper, finely diced
• 10 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 3 tbsp tomato purée
• 150ml dry white wine
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 500ml chicken stock
• 3 tbsp annatto oil, for the guiso
• 1kg pre-cooked white cornmeal (masarepa)
• 1.6 litres warm chicken stock, for the dough
• 250ml annatto oil, for the dough
• 1kg banana leaves
• 150g pitted green olives
• 80g capers, drained
• 150g raisins
• 2 red peppers, cut into thin strips, for garnish
• 1 onion, sliced into rings, for garnish
• kitchen string
• 3 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Before you cook

• Cut all three meats into small even cubes and keep them separate.
• Chop the onions, leek, spring onions, red pepper and garlic for the guiso.
• Pass the banana leaves briefly over a gas flame or dip them in boiling water until they turn glossy and pliable, then wipe them clean.
• Cut the leaves into 30cm squares for the main wrapper, 30cm by 12cm strips for the band, and 20cm squares for the lid.
• Soak the raisins in warm water for 10 minutes and drain them.

Steps

1. Heat 3 tbsp annatto oil in a very large pan over a medium-high heat.
2. Brown the beef and pork in batches for 5 minutes each, then set them aside.
3. Lower the heat and cook the onions, leek, spring onions, red pepper and garlic in the same pan for 10 minutes until soft.
4. Return the beef and pork, add the chicken and stir everything together.
5. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 3 minutes.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and stock.
7. Simmer the guiso uncovered for 90 minutes, stirring now and then, until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick enough to mound on a spoon.
8. Season the guiso with salt and pepper and leave it to cool completely, ideally overnight.
9. Warm the 1.6 litres of stock and stir the 250ml annatto oil into it so it turns deep orange.
10. Tip the masarepa into a very large bowl and pour in the orange stock in stages, kneading as you go.
11. Knead the dough for 8 minutes until it is soft, deeply coloured and does not crack when you roll a ball.
12. Lay a 30cm banana leaf square shiny side up and brush it lightly with annatto oil.
13. Place a ball of dough about the size of a lemon in the centre.
14. Press the dough out with your oiled palm or a small plate into a thin square roughly 18cm across.
15. Spoon a heaped 3 tbsp of cold guiso into the middle.
16. Top the guiso with two olives, a few capers, a scattering of raisins, two strips of red pepper and a couple of onion rings.
17. Fold the far edge of the leaf over towards you so the dough folds onto itself and encloses the filling.
18. Fold in both sides, then fold up the bottom to make a flat rectangular parcel.
19. Lay the parcel on the 30cm band of leaf and wrap it, then cover the seam with the 20cm lid square.
20. Tie the parcel firmly with string in both directions like a gift, and repeat until all the dough and guiso are used.
21. Bring a very large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
22. Lower the hallacas in and boil them for 45 minutes.
23. Lift them out and stand them on a rack to drain for 10 minutes.
24. Snip the strings and open the leaves at the table, eating the hallaca straight from its wrapper.