Bandeja Paisa de Lujo with Carne en Polvo and Meaty Chicharrón

Method

1. The night before: cover the beans with plenty of water to soak. Cut the pork belly into thick 4 cm pieces, score the skin every 1 cm, rub all over with the salt and baking soda and set skin side up on a plate in the fridge, uncovered. The dried skin puffs far more and turns crunchier when fried.

   Add in this stepThick skin-on pork belly 300 gSalt 0.6 tspBaking soda ½ tsp

2. Rinse the soaked beans and put them in a 3 L pot with the water. Peel the green plantain and snap it by hand into 2 cm pieces straight into the pot (torn pieces thicken the broth better than cut ones). Bring to a boil on high heat, skim, then turn down to medium-low heat, half-cover and simmer for 1 h 35 min. When the beans crush easily, mash a few plantain pieces against the side of the pot to give the broth body.

   Add in this stepDried red beans (cargamanto or kidney), soaked 120 gWater for the beans 1,100 mlGreen (unripe) plantain ½

   high heat→medium-low heat

3. Carne en polvo: cut the beef into large chunks and put it in a 18 cm pot with the water, spring onion, garlic, cumin and salt. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 40 min, until a fork slides in easily. Lift out the beef and strain the broth; keep it for the rice. Let the beef cool for 10 minutes, tear it along the grain, then pulse it in a food processor in short bursts until it looks like fluffy crumbs (no processor: shred very finely with two forks and chop with a knife). Heat the oil with the annatto in a pan on medium heat and toast the beef crumbs for 5 min, until dry and fragrant.

   Add in this stepLean beef (round or boneless shank) 200 gWater for the beef 800 mlSpring onions (or thin leeks) 0.9Garlic cloves 1¼Ground cumin ¼ tspSalt 0.4 tspVegetable oil 0.6 tbspGround annatto (achiote) ½ tsp

   medium heat

4. Grate the tomatoes on a box grater and discard the skins; slice the spring onions and mince the garlic. Heat the oil in a 20 cm pan on medium-low heat, soften the spring onion and garlic, then add the tomato, cumin and salt and cook slowly for 18 min, until the oil seeps out at the edges and the sauce turns a jammy red-brown. Stir two thirds of this hogao into the beans and simmer them on low heat for 20 min; serve the rest at the table to spoon over the meat.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 1 tbspSpring onions (or thin leeks) 2⅛Garlic cloves 1¾Ground cumin ½ tspRipe tomatoes 2Salt 0.4 tsp

   medium-low heat→low heat

5. Heat the oil in a 16 cm pot, stir the rice in it for 1 minute, then add the saved beef broth and the salt. Boil on high heat, uncovered, until the liquid drops to the level of the rice and little holes appear. Cover, turn down to low heat and cook for 18 min. Turn off the heat and let it steam for 5 minutes.

   Add in this stepLong-grain white rice 150 gBeef broth saved from step 3 (topped up with water) 230 mlVegetable oil ½ tbspSalt 0.4 tsp

   high heat→low heat

6. Chicharrón carnudo: lightly wipe the salt off the pork with paper towel, lay it skin side up in a wide 24 cm pan, add the water and boil on medium-high heat, uncovered, for about 28 min, until the water is gone and the fat runs. Turn down to medium heat, turn the pieces skin side down and fry for 15 min, rolling them now and then (fat around 170–180 °C). For the last 1–2 minutes raise the heat a little so the skin puffs like popcorn. It spits hard at this point: keep a lid half over the pan, use long tongs and keep your face away. Cut into the thickest piece: the juices must run clear.

   Add in this stepWater for the pork belly 350 ml

   medium-high heat→medium heat

7. Leave a little of the pork fat in the pan, add the pricked chorizos and cook on medium heat for 12 min, rolling them, until browned outside and no longer pink inside. Meanwhile mix the masarepa with the salt and warm water, knead for 2 minutes and rest 3 minutes, then shape one thin disc per serving, 10 cm wide and 0.7 cm thick. Cook in a dry non-stick pan on medium-low heat for 8 min in total, turning once or twice, and brush with butter while hot.

   Add in this stepFresh pork chorizo sausages 2Masarepa (precooked white corn meal) 80 gWarm water for the arepas 110 mlSalt ¼ tspButter 10 g

   medium heat→medium-low heat

8. Peel the plantain and cut it into long diagonal slices 1 cm thick. Heat the frying oil in a 24 cm pan on medium heat to about 170 °C and fry for 6 min, turning once, until deep amber and caramelised. Pour off the frying oil, add the oil, and on medium heat crack in the eggs; tilt the pan and baste the whites with the hot oil for 3 min, until the edges are crisp and the yolks still runny. On a large plate arrange the rice, carne en polvo, chicharrón, chorizo, plantain, arepa and egg, with the beans in a separate bowl. Add avocado and lime.

   Add in this stepVery ripe plantain (skin mostly black) 1Oil for frying the plantain 80 mlVegetable oil 0.4 tbspEggs 2Avocado ½Lime ½

   medium heat