Venezuelan Christmas Hallacas with Pork, Chicken and Annatto Masa

What you need

• 600 g (1 1/3 lb) pork shoulder, in 4 cm (1 1/2 in) chunks
• 4 bone-in chicken thighs, about 800 g (1 3/4 lb)
• 2 onions, 1 halved for poaching, 1 finely chopped for the stew
• 8 cloves garlic, 3 smashed for poaching, 5 minced for the stew
• 1 leek, white and light green part, finely chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems chopped
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 150 ml (2/3 cup) dry red wine
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 500 g (4 cups) precooked white cornmeal, masarepa; not masa harina
• 2 tbsp annatto seeds
• 150 ml (2/3 cup) sunflower oil, plus a little for brushing the leaves
• 80 g (1/2 cup) raisins
• 3 tbsp capers, drained
• 24 pimiento-stuffed green olives, halved
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into 12 slices
• 2 roasted red peppers, jarred, drained, cut into 24 strips
• 500 g (1 lb) banana leaves, thawed if frozen
• 1 ball of kitchen string, about 6 m (20 ft) needed
• salt, to taste, plus 3 tsp for the poaching water and masa
• black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Put the pork, chicken, the halved onion and the 3 smashed garlic in a large pot. Cover with 2 litres (2 quarts) of water, add 2 tsp salt and bring to a boil.

2. 2

   Skim the foam, then simmer gently until the chicken reaches 74 °C (165 °F) inside, about 30 min. Lift out the chicken and keep cooking the pork until fork-tender, another 30 min.

3. 3

   Strain and keep 1 litre (1 quart) of the cooking liquid. Discard the onion. Skin and bone the chicken, then dice the chicken and pork into 1 cm (1/2 in) pieces.

4. 4

   For the stew, heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Cook the chopped onion, leek, peppers and the 5 minced garlic until soft, 10 min.

5. 5

   Add the tomato paste and cilantro and cook 2 min. Pour in the wine and let it bubble down by half.

6. 6

   Stir in the diced meat, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, sugar and 250 ml (1 cup) of the cooking liquid. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until thick and almost dry, 20 min. Cool completely.

7. 7

   For the annatto oil, warm the remaining oil with the annatto seeds over low heat until the oil turns deep red, 4-5 min. Strain and discard the seeds. Let it cool.

8. 8

   For the masa, mix the cornmeal and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the annatto oil and 750 ml (3 cups) of warm cooking liquid, and knead until you have a soft, smooth dough like a soft, spreadable paste. Add a little more liquid if it feels stiff. Rest 15 min.

9. 9

   Cut the banana leaves into 12 pieces about 35 x 30 cm (14 x 12 in) and 12 pieces about 20 cm (8 in) square. Pass each piece briefly over a gas flame or dip in simmering water until glossy and pliable, then wipe dry and brush lightly with oil.

10. 10

    Lay a large leaf piece on the counter with a small piece on top. Spread about 100 g (3 1/2 oz) of masa into a thin 15 x 12 cm (6 x 5 in) rectangle.

11. 11

    Spoon 3 tbsp of the stew down the center. Top with 2 olive halves, a few raisins, a few capers, 1 egg slice and 2 roasted pepper strips.

12. 12

    Fold the long sides of the leaf over the filling so the masa meets, then fold in the ends to form a tight rectangular parcel. Tie each one both ways with string, like a gift.

13. 13

    Bring a very large pot of salted water to a boil. Lower in the parcels, in two batches if needed, and keep them under water. Simmer gently for 1 hr.

14. 14

    Lift out the parcels and let them drain for 5 min. Untie and serve the hallacas in their leaves, opening each at the table. The leaf is not eaten.

Imported from cocina-colombiana.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.