Pabellón criollo

Pabellón criollo is a cherished traditional dish from Venezuela, featuring a hearty combination of rice, shredded beef stew, and stewed black beans. This delightful trio can be further enhanced with various flavorful additions. For instance, it is often accompanied by fried plantain slices, known as "tajadas" or crowned with a fried egg. These variations even have their own playful nicknames: "pabellón con barandas" refers to the version with plantain slices, humorously imagined as guardrails, while "pabellón a caballo" describes the dish topped with a fried egg, as if the egg is "riding" on top.

Other flavorful modifications might include sprinkling granulated sugar on the beans, adding Queso Palmita cheese over the beans, or drizzling hot sauce over the meat for an extra kick.

The shredded beef in pabellón criollo can also be substituted with other meats depending on regional availability, the season, or personal preference. Alternatives include capybara (known locally as chigüire), shredded caiman meat, or even freshwater fish. During Lent, when the Roman Catholic Church traditionally prohibits the consumption of beef, capybara and fish become popular substitutes, allowing everyone to still enjoy this quintessential Venezuelan dish.