Pabellón Criollo is Venezuela’s national dish, known for its tender shredded flank steak cooked in a rich, well-seasoned sauce.
This recipe stays true to that tradition but also works beautifully with boneless venison cuts, such as the neck or round. It’s a flavorful, versatile dish that pairs well with your choice of sides, like rice, black beans, and sweet plantains.
Whats great about this Recipe
- Naturally rich sauce without needing stock – The reserved cooking liquid from the meat builds deep flavor without store-bought broth.
- Flexible with different meats – Works with beef flank steak or tougher venison cuts.
- Make-ahead friendly – Even better the next day, and great for meal prep.
Ingredients list
Click to expand the Ingredient list
- For the Meat
- 2 pounds beef flank steak or boneless venison
- 1 onion, cut in half
- 1 red bell pepper, cut in half and seeded
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt, as needed
- 2 quarts water (more if needed)
- For the sauce:
- ¼ cup corn oil or olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup onion, chopped or sliced
- 1 bell pepper, sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups reserved cooking liquid
- Salt, as needed
Step-by-Step Overview
Cook The Meat Until Tender: Cut the meat into 3-inch pieces. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Add the onion, bell pepper, cumin, black pepper, oregano, vinegar, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer and cook covered until the meat is fork tender.
Shred the Meat: Remove the meat and shred it finely using two forks or a mallet. Strain and reserve the cooking liquid.
For Easier Shredding: You can place the meat on a cutting board and pound with a meat mallet.
Sauté the meat and make the sauce: Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and cook the shredded meat until crisp and golden brown.
Set aside. Add onion and bell pepper; cook until tender. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add tomato paste, Worcestershire, oregano, and cumin. Mix until smooth. Return the meat to the pan and add 2 cups of reserved liquid. Simmer until slightly thickened.
Serving Suggestions
- Used as a filling for pabellon arepas or pabellon empanadas
- Fried ripe plantains
- Black beans and white rice (arroz blanco)
More Latin Inspired Dishes
- Venison Enchiladas A La Plancha
- Cracked Corn Venison Empanadas
- Classic Venison Tacos
- Mexican Shrimp and Crab Ceviche
- Peruvian Shrimp Ceviche
If you cooked this Venezuelan national dish, pabellón criollo, and enjoyed it, please leave a review. Also tag me @larry__white on Instagram with any of your dishes! And if you’re interested in more wild game, check out my venison recipes collection.
Pabellon Criollo
Ingredients
For the meat
- 2 pounds beef flank steak, (or boneless venison)
- 1 onion, cut in half
- 1 red bell pepper, cut in half and seeded
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt, as needed
- 2 quarts water, (more if needed)
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup corn oil or olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup onion, chopped or sliced
- 1 bell pepper, sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups reserved cooking liquid
- Salt, as needed
Instructions
Cook the meat until Tender
- Cut the meat into 3 inch pieces
- Place the meat in a large pot and cover with the 2 quarts of water. Add the onion, bell pepper, cumin, black pepper, oregano, red wine vinegar, and salt to the pot.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and cook until the meat is fork tender.
- Remove the meat from the pot and set aside in a large bowl.
- Strain and reserve the cooking liquid.
- Using two forks, shred the meat into the thinnest shreds possible. Alternatively, you can pound the meat with a mallet for finer shreds.
Saute the Meat and Make Sauce
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the cooking oil. Once the oil starts to lightly smoke add the meat into an even layer. Season the meat lightly with salt. Cook the meat until it is very crisp and golden brown.
- Lower the heat to medium-low. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
- Add the onions and bell pepper to the pan. Cook while stirring until they are tender, around 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, and cumin. Stir until the tomato paste is smooth. Add the meat to the pan along with 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid. Stir until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened—around 10 minutes. Add more of the reserved cooking liquid if needed.
