Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Hola–Arepas!

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Tonja Engen

Ingredients

Scale
  • For the Arepas:
  • 2 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 to 2 1/2 cups pre-cooked yellow cornmeal (I used P.A.N.)
  • 1/4 cup canola oil.
  • For the carnitas:
  • 45 pound pork shoulder
  • 2 Tbls. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbls. kosher salt
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1Tbls. ground cumin
  • 1 Tbls. dried oregano
  • 1 Tbls. Chili Powder
  • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • For Assembly:
  • arepas
  • Carnitas
  • 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
  • red onion
  • queso fresco (shredded)
  • Salsa Verde

Instructions

  1. Mix the oil, salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, red pepper, garlic, bay leaves, lime juice, and orange juice in a small bowl.
  2. Rub paste liberally all over the pork. Place the pork and onion in a slow cooker.
  3. Cover and cook on low until tender, 6-8 hours or on high 4-6 hours.
  4. Remove from the slow cooker and let cool slightly. Shred the pork with 2 forks. Season again with salt and pepper.
  5. Set the pork back in the slow-cooker and keep warm in the cooking liquid.
  6. Preheat oven to broil. Place carnitas onto a baking sheet and broil until crisp and crusted about 3-4 minutes.
  7. For arepas, Stir water and salt together in a bowl. Gradually stir cornmeal into water with your fingers until mixture forms a soft, moist, malleable dough.
  8. Form golf ball-size balls into patties about 3/8-inch thick.
  9. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook corn patties until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer cooked arepas to a paper towel-lined cooking sheet and transfer to warm oven if not serving right way.
  10. To assemble, start with arepa, followed by a heaping scoop of carnitas, black beans, red onion. queso fresco, and salsa verde. Add another arepa on top if you would like to eat it as a sandwich.