Meals from the Antioquia region of Colombia are notoriously generous. Hearty bowls of sancocho, overfilled bowls of mondongo, and the ever popular bandeja paisa are remnants from more agricultural times.
Now that this area has become more metropolitan, particularly in the state's capital Medellín, many of these recipes have been updated to accommodate model lifestyles and diets... mostly.
Desayuno Trancado is a great breakfast for special occasions, Sunday brunch, or any time you're feeling a little thin.
There are three main components to the meal:
- Hogao - This is a mild salsa made from tomatoes and onions.
- Calentado - (Literally "leftovers") This is a rice and beans mixture not entirely dissimilar to "casada" in Costa Rica or "gallo pinto" in Mexico. The beans in Colombia tend to be larger red beans rather than the black beans found in Central America and Mexico.
- Desayuno trancado - This is a combination of a plethora of meats combined with the hogao and calentado. To complete the effect throw in some arepas and a large bowl of hot chocolate.
How To Make Desayuno Trancado:
1. Hogao
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil (rendered fat from bacon or fat back also works wonderfully here)
- 1 Medium white onion, diced
- 2 Green onions, whites minced and greens saved for garnish
- 2 Large tomatoes, diced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure
- Fry onions in oil and grease until translucent.
- Add tomatoes and cook on low until tomatoes have broken down. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Calentado
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 cups of prepared beans (left over from the night before)
- 4 cups of prepared white rice (left over from the night before)
- 1 cup of hogao
- Salt to taste
- A handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
Procedure
- Heat oil in a sautee pan. Throw in rice and beans to heat through. Stir in hogao. Salt to taste. At the last minute stir in cilantro.
3. Desayuno Trancado
Ingredients
- 1 pound of thin sliced pork loin
- 4 chorizo sausages
- 4 morcilla sausages
- 8 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon of butter
Procedure
- Fry the pork medallions in a little butter until medium. (Pork is no longer on the "need to be well-done" list!)
- Prick chorizo with a fork. Place in a shallow frying pan. Fill pan with water to half cover the chorizo. Over medium heat, allow water to boil off. The grease will leech out of the sausage and allow you to fry them crisp.
- Fry morcilla in grease from chorizo.
- Fry eggs in butter.
Serve Desayuno Trancado with extra hogao, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and diced white onion. This is great accompanied with arepas, queso fresco, and hot chocolate.
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