Arepas with Beef Brisket
My culinary curiosity has no limits. I love trying new recipes, experiencing different cuisines and cooking with exotic spices, herbs and ingredients… it’s fun! I’m lucky that my husband is willing to let me do my “foody” adventures in the kitchen although he’s come around a lot and now wants to try new “dishes” as well… awesome!
David and I have a big bucket list of things we’d like to do and places to visit. South America is on that list; Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile (including Easter Island), Venezuela, Argentina, Ecuador (Galápagos Islands), and many more…
There’s a food item that I was introduced to years ago by Joe, a friend of mine, who was originally from Venezuela. It was quite good and after he wrote down how to make it on a small piece of paper, I never got around to making it until recently. The reason was I wanted another kind of food vessel for my sandwiches and that is when I decided to give it a try with my Arepas with Beef Brisket!
These little corn cakes are so delicious! They can be an accompaniment for cheese, meat, fish, eggs or spreads as well as being used just like bread for sandwiches, by slicing them in half. That’s the reason why I made these Arepas so I can enjoy my Beef Brisket sandwich with a pre-Columbian flair to it.
Apparently, Arepas have been around for over 2500 years. Although this is a popular cultural food item and considered to be a symbol of gastronomy in Venezuela, it has also been one in Colombia. Both countries enjoy this corn cake daily and claim that it’s theirs. They make a great food vessel for sandwiches and are so easy to prepare. They are made with maize flour giving a slight sweet taste. When grilled, fried or baked, they become crunchy with a soft texture. It’s an interesting taste… definitely not your everyday “bread”. In my opinion, they remind me vaguely of tortillas.
Here’s a quick tip to successfully make Arepas. When mixing the masarepa (pre-cooked corn meal) in the hot water by hand, it might get hard to blend it all. Just add 1 tablespoon of hot water at the most so you can finish blending it. Now after resting for 10 minutes, when forming them into discs, if the sides start cracking a lot, add another tablespoon of hot water, mixing well after the addition.
There are many different sandwiches you can make with these corn cakes such as Arepa Reina Pepiada which is a chicken salad with avocado, or my favorite one… Arepa Gatira which is made with chicken, gouda cheese along with sofrito sauce as well as another popular one which is filled with pulled pork, avocado and tomatoes and it’s called Arepa Pernil. You can always try my Arepas with Beef Brisket… they’re pretty good!
Bon Appétit!
Check out these delicious bread recipes…
– French Baguettes
– Cheddar Biscuits
– Mexican Cornbread
– Dinner Rolls
– Indian Naan Bread
– Hamburger Buns
– Mediterranean Olive Bread
and for even more International recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • International
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Arepas Beef Brisket
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Ingredients
AREPAS
- 3 cups hot water (between 130-135ºF)
- 1 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt
- 3 cups white masarepa (pre-cooked white corn meal), such as Goya or P.A.N.
- 2 tbsp. canola oil, or more if needed tips & tricks
BEEF BRISKET
- 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup red onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup red peppers, chopped
- 1/2 cup poblano peppers, chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 3 to 3 1/2 cups beef brisket see Recipe
- 1 tsp. hot sauce such as Cholula®, or more to taste
- 3/4 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
Directions
AREPAS
- In a large bowl, add water and salt; stir until salt is dissolved. Gradually add cornmeal, mixing with fingers to break up any lumps. If the mixture gets too hard to mix, add 1 tbsp. hot water. Cover with a moist towel and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Portion dough into 6 disks of 4 ½-inches in diameter by ¾-inches thick with sloped edges. If disks crack, add 1 more tbsp. hot water.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil. In batches of 3, cook arepas for 2 to 2 ½ minutes per side or until golden brown.
- Place them on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until they rise.
- Remove from the heat and cool for 7 minutes before slicing 2/3rds through forming a pocket.
- Stuff with beef brisket mixture and grated cheese
BEEF BRISKET
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. oil. When hot, add onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add peppers and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for only 1 minute.
- Add beef brisket and stir to mix before drizzling on ½ tbsp. olive oil to prevent from sticking. Stir in hot sauce, cover, reduce the heat to low and keep warm until needed.
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