Tell us your chili recipe!
(I’ve been wanting to learn tamales - I live across the street from a Hispanic market, and I see people buying the stuff for it all the time. Maybe next thread...)
A Christmas tradition, most notably in Venezuela, “Hallaca” (ayaca) is tamale on another level. Typically served with a relish of thin-sliced red onion and cilantro (Salsa Criolla). During Christmas-New Years, it’s pretty much an obligatory offering to guests at any time of day. While various recipes exist in Latin America, the Venezuelan variety may be the most recognized. Salsa Criolla is also a versatile topping for beef, chicken or pork. Read the recipe for easy tip on “sweating” the sting or bitterness from onions.
Hallacas are prepared around a stew (guiso) of chicken, pork and beef. Seasoned to suit with a mix of raisins, bell peppers, onions and olives. Hallacas are assembled in something of a production line manner. Filling aside, most apparent difference between typical tamales is the use of banana leaves in wrapping hallacas. Labor intensive, hallaca recipes abound including this one.
One evening the week before Christmas, my wife and SiL prepared approximately 100 hallacas. A good number have since “disappeared” as gifts or seasonal treat. A little luck and a good bit of self-control, we’ll freeze a few for a Springtime nosh.
Complimenting hallacas as a seasonal treat is “Pan de Jamón” – (Ham & Olive Bread). Basically sliced ham of choice placed on a prepared dough and topped with chopped olives and raisins. Roll together jellyroll style, crimp the ends and bake. Slice to serve. I “garontee” you, a plate of Pan de Jamón will disappear quicker than deviled eggs at a church picnic!