Hearty dish of minced or grilled steak, chorizo, fried pork belly (chicharron), red beans, rice, arepa, fried plantain, blood sausage, a small salad, and a fried egg.

The official dish of the Antioquia region of Colombia, bandeja paisa, is a bona-fide glut of of carne. This dish can feature minced or grilled steak, chorizo, fried pork belly (chicharron), red beans, rice, arepa, fried plantain, blood sausage, a small salad, and a fried egg.

There is a controversy in the Colombian culinary world to modernize this dish to be healthier and lighter. Traditionalists are completely against this because they feel that bandeja paisa is a part of the national heritage and culture. The recipe here is quite traditional.

Origin

Bandeja paisa is a high calorie, high protein meal stemming from the agricultural community in the Antioquia region of Colombia. It features local ingredients, particularly, a lot of meat. The meats featured though aren't necessarily the prime cuts: cuts of rump roast, blood sausage, eggs, and pork belly are all economical meat options.

Bandeja Paisa

Red Beans

Ingredients

• 3 cups dried red beans (substitute canned or a different type of bean)
• Carrot, rough chopped
• Green plantain, finely diced
• Salt
• Pepper

Process

1. Soak dried beans over night in enough water to cover the beans plus an extra inch or so.
2. Pressure cook for 20 minutes.
3. Add carrots and pressure cook for another 20 minutes.
4. Remove carrots and place in a blender and whiz smooth with some of the cooking liquid. Return liquid to pot along with plantains.
5. Pressure cook for another 20 minutes.

*Tip of the day: You can tell when the beans are fully cooked when you can take one and split the skin by blowing on the seam of the bean.

Carne Machaca

Ingredients

• 2 lb. beef roast
• Water
• 1 small tomato
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Salt
• Pepper to taste

Process

1. Puree the tomato, onion, and garlic in a blender with a little water.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil with the puree. Place roast into boiling water and cook through (about half an hour depending on thickness). You can slice the roast into thinner pieces for faster cooking time.
3. Remove the roast and cut into small pieces. Grind these pieces in a food processor until you have a fine mixture.

Chicarrones Colombianas

Ingredients

• Strips of pork belly
• Oil for frying

Process

1. Score the skin of the pork belly along with the meat.
2. Fry in 350 degree oil until the skin is crisp and the meat is cooked through. Take care here as the fat tends to pop and spit oil. Use a lid for the pan for protection.

Morcia (blood sausage) and Chorizo

Ingredients

• 1 lb. of morcia, black pudding, or other blood sausage
• 1 lb. of Colombian chorizo, or other spicy dried sauage
• Oil for frying

Process

1. Pan fry sausages until crisp and cooked through.

Arepa (Colombian corn bread)

Cooked Rice

Fried yellow plantains (Tajadas) same as recipe here, but substitute yellow plantain

Fried egg (over easy)

Plating:

Serve beans in a separate bowl. Line a platter with rice, meats, plantains, slices of avocado, and top with a fried egg.

Anticipate taking a nap after consumption...