Pabellón Criollo with Black Beans, Rice, and Slow-Braised Beef

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-07-03 · Updated 2026-07-03

Traditional Venezuelan platter featuring tender slow-braised shredded beef served alongside black beans, fluffy white rice, and fried plantains. This Latin American-inspired beef recipe, ready in about 215 minutes, pairs beef flank steak, yellow onion, garlic cloves for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 520 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs beef flank steak
• 1 large, diced yellow onion
• 3, minced garlic cloves
• 1, diced green bell pepper
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups black beans (canned, drained)
• 1 cup white rice
• 2 cups water for rice
• 2 large, ripe plantains
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
• 2 tbsp olive oil

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Instructions

1. Step 1: In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat and sauté 1 large diced yellow onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 1 diced green bell pepper for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
2. Step 2: Add 1.5 lbs beef flank steak cut into large chunks, 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp salt; cover and simmer on low for 3 hours until beef is tender and shreds easily.
3. Step 3: While beef cooks, rinse 1 cup white rice under cold water; bring 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan, add rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 18 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is fluffy.
4. Step 4: Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; peel and slice 2 large ripe plantains into 1/2-inch thick diagonal pieces; fry for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and caramelized; drain on paper towels.
5. Step 5: Warm 2 cups canned black beans in a saucepan over low heat until heated through.
6. Step 6: Shred the braised beef with forks and serve on plates with rice, black beans, and fried plantains.