According to the history of Venezuelan cuisine, this dish dates from the early nineteenth century due to the high production of cattle for the period. Usually, the most used parts of the cattle were the soft parts for the preparation of roasts, and the hard parts of low consumption were salted to preserve them for long periods. Rice and beans were of high consumption by rangers who started mixing flavors in the kitchens of the plains to give rise to this exquisite fusion. The “paloapique”: meat, beans and rice, being one of those dishes which need to be rescued from oblivion for its exquisite taste and easy preparation.

Ingredients

	200 gr of Bay Beans
	200 gr of Red Beans
	1 Onion
	1 stalk of Leek
	2 sprigs of Chives
	4 Garlic cloves mignonette
	250 gr of Pork Crackling
	2 liters Beef Broth
	750 gr of Brisket
	1 kg of coarse Salt
	1 kg of table Salt
	2 cups white Rice
	Enough Water
	6 tablespoons Annatto Oil
	300 gr of Onion cut into brunoise
	200 gr of Leek cut into julienne
	200 gr of Chives cut into julienne
	5 Garlic cloves mignonette
	150 gr of green Sweet Pepper finely sliced
	The desalted and meat cut into cubes 3cmx3cm
	1 sprig Thyme
	Pepper
	Salt

Utensils

Large pot

Knife

Large container

Big cauldron

Preparation

For the beans

1. Soak the beans in a pot with water the night before..

2. Remove them from the water and place them in a pot with the beef broth, whole onion, leek stalk, the mignonette garlic and the sprigs of chives.

3. Cook over low heat until soft, cool and strain.

4. Book separately the cooking water and beans discarding vegetables and pork rinds.

For salted meat

1. Wash the meat and place in a 20% brine for 30 minutes.

2. Remove the meat from the brine and dry thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel.

3. Use the knife to make shallow cuts along the flesh.

4. Mix together the coarse salt with the fine salt, rub the meat well with this mixture leaving no area unsalted.

5. In a container of the size of the piece of meat, place a layer of 2 cm of salt, and over the salt meat try to arrange the meat in a way that there are no folds contacting the salt, cover the meat with another layer.

6. Let rest for 4 or 5 days covered with plastic on the bottom of the fridge, depending on the thickness of the meat, if necessary, you should turn the meat filling the layers of salt every day.

For the rice

1. In a saucepan, place 2 cups of rice in the water where the beans were cooked and parboil.

2. Add ½ teaspoon salt, when the rice is tender but still firm (about 15 minutes).

3. Keeping the rice strain the cooking water, spread on a tray and reserve.

For meat

1. Desalt the meat, immersing it in plenty of water for 6 hours, changing the water at least 2 times.

2. Cut the meat into cubes.

3. In a pot, heat the annatto oil; incorporate the onion, garlic, leek, chives and sweet pepper.

4. Cook for 25 minutes over medium heat, add the meat cubes and 2 cups of the cooking water from the beans, cook until tender, it should be a fairly wet stew.

5. Rectify taste.

Final preparation

1. Mix beans with meat stew and rice in the pot.

2. Pour the mixture in a preferably earthenware pot and bring to hot oven for 5 minutes.

3. Serve as a main dish.