Pabellón criollo is Venezuela's national dish, and it is built like a flag, which is the meaning of pabellón: four bands laid side by side on the plate. There is carne mechada, beef simmered until it falls into threads and then cooked again in a sauce of tomato, onion and sweet peppers; caraotas negras, black beans cooked soft and seasoned with a little sugar; plain white rice; and tajadas, slices of very ripe plantain fried until their edges turn to caramel. Many Venezuelans say it tells the country's story on a plate, with Indigenous, African and Spanish ingredients all at the same table.

It is eaten at lunch, the main meal of the Venezuelan day, and it takes a little organization rather than any real skill. Every part can be made ahead except the plantains, which makes it well suited to a race weekend. A fried egg on top turns it into a pabellón a caballo, the pabellón on horseback, presumably for those with a long ride after lunch.

Carne mechada

Ingredients

• 2 lb (900 g) beef flank steak
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 4 ají dulce peppers
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Caraotas negras

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
• 1/2 small yellow onion
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cans (15 oz, 425 g each) black beans
• 1 tablespoon papelón or dark brown sugar
• to taste fine salt

White rice

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
• 1/4 small yellow onion
• 2 cups (400 g) long grain white rice
• 3 cups (720 ml) water
• 1 teaspoon fine salt

Tajadas

Ingredients

• 3 very ripe plantains
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil

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