Hallacas

Method

Heat butter in a large pot and sauté onions, garlic, and peppers until softened, then add diced meat and cook until browned, seasoning with salt, pepper, cumin and paprika, then stir in raisins and olives and simmer for 20 minutes until the meat is tender. In a separate bowl, mix maize flour with warm stock, salt and a tablespoon of butter to form a smooth, spreadable dough. Blanch banana leaves briefly in hot water to soften them. Lay two banana leaf squares in an overlapping cross pattern, spread a thin layer of maize dough in the centre, add a spoonful of meat mixture, place half a hard-boiled egg on top, then fold the banana leaves over to create a parcel, tying with kitchen string or a thin banana leaf strip. Arrange hallacas seam-side down in a large pot with a little water, cover tightly and steam for 45-50 minutes until the maize is cooked through and pulls away cleanly from the leaves.