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Pisillo llanero
Pisillo llanero: finely shredded salted beef fried with sofrito, from the Llanos
Cattle country cooks in Apure and Barinas turn salted dried beef into pisillo: desalted, boiled, pounded into fine threads and fried with onion, ají dulce and garlic until almost dry and lightly crisp. It's eaten at lunch with white rice, black beans, fried ripe plantain and an arepa, the plate the llaneros call their own. The common mistake is not soaking the beef long enough, so it comes out too salty. Chef's tip: taste a strand after boiling; if it is still salty, simmer it in fresh water for another 10 minutes.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb salted dried beef (carne salada or cecina)soaked overnight in the fridge, water changed 3 times
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp ground annatto (onoto)
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 red pepperfinely chopped
- 4 ají dulce (sweet chilli peppers)chopped
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- 3 spring onionssliced
- 1 tomatochopped
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ⅓ oz fresh corianderchopped
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Drain 1 ⅓ lb salted dried beef (carne salada or cecina), cover with fresh water and simmer for 40 minutes, until tender. Drain and cool.
40 minStep 2: Pound the beef with a mallet or pestle, then pull it into very fine threads with your fingers.
15 minStep 3: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil with ½ tsp ground annatto (onoto) in a wide frying pan and fry 1 onion, 1 red pepper, 4 ají dulce (sweet chilli peppers), 4 cloves garlic and 3 spring onions for 8 minutes, until soft. Add 1 tomato and ½ tsp ground cumin and cook for 3 minutes.
11 minStep 4: Add the shredded beef and fry over a medium heat, stirring often, for 10–12 minutes, until it is dry, fluffy and lightly crisp in places. Stir in ⅓ oz fresh coriander.
12 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pisillo llanero take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of red pepper?
- Any colour of bell pepper, same amount.
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