I’m not sure what I could say arepas are like. Sort of like polenta mini-tortilla pancakes-ish. These are Venezuelan arepas (as opposed to Colombian), they are thick and you cut them open and put stuff inside. I was heading to a Super Bowl party where the hostess has serious gluten issues. Arepas are gluten free. I’d had them years ago in New York and have remembered them fondly.
So I decided to make pork pernil to put inside. Cook’s Complicated, er, Illustrated had featured pernil on one of the various channels that runs the damn shows endlessly, back to back. It looked fabulous. Since I was casting around for something to fill them, pernil seemed like a good idea.
Technically arepas don’t go with pernil. Different countries, cultures and food customs but you know, I am always bending the food culture rules. Ask the various cultural food policing organizations.
Arepas very easy to make. You mix the flour, not masa harina, with warm water and buttermilk and make a paste. Make the little patties, fry them and then bake them for 15 minutes. I’m really not sure if these were right because although I remember that I liked them all those years ago in New York. I don’t remember what there were like.
