Recipe Archives->Mexican->Hallacas

Hallacas
serves 6

1 1/2 lbs diced beef
1 1/2 lbs diced pork
2 cups water
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup canned chickpeas
3 Tb olive oil
4 tomatoes, chopped
4 onions, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
1/2 tsp dried ground chili peppers
4 Tb chopped parsley
4 tsp salt
3 Tb vinegar
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp capers
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup sliced stuffed olives
3 cups corn meal
4 cups boiling water
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten

Combine the beef, pork, water, and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to
a boil and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes. Drain and chop
coarsely. Add the chickpeas, mixing lightly.  Heat the oil in a
large skillet. Add the tomatoes, onions, peppers, chili, parsley,
2 tsp of the salt, vinegar, sugar, and the meat mixture. Cook over
low heat for 15 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the capers, raisins,
and olives. Mix lightly. Set aside.

Mix the corn meal with a little cold water. Add to the boiling
water in a saucepan, stirring constantly. Add the butter and
remaining salt. Cook over low heat for 15 mins. Remove from the
heat and add the eggs, beating until a smooth dough is formed.
Butter a 3-quart round or square baking dish.  Line it with 2/3 of
the corn meal mixture and pour the meat mixture into it. Spread
the remaining corn meal on top. Cover the dish with a piece of foil
and tie it. Place in a pan of water. Bake in a 350 degree oven for
1 hour.

In Venezuela the dish is prepared in the form of tamales. Banana
leaves are used for wrapping the hallacas, but foil or parchment
paper will serve as a substitute. Cut 10-inch squares of either
paper. Spread about 4 Tb of the corn meal dough in the center and
press as thin as possible. Place 2 Tb of the meat mixture on the
dough and fold over, sealing the edges as well as possible. If the
dough breaks, patch it with a little more dough. Fold the paper
around the hallacas carefully and tie it securely. If foil is used,
it is not necessary to tie it. Boil in a large saucepan of salted
water for 1.5 hours. Serve in the papers.

Printable version: hallacas.txt.