Nothing more traditional than this dish in Venezuela. It only has two ingredients; it is not customary to put any seasoning on it, the authentic “carne llanera” is meat only with salt and fire. The secret of the carne en vara is in the slow cooking on the coals based on firewood, which must be of a good dry wood, like guamo and you must avoid pine logs because they produce bitter odors. The smoke from natural wood gives this meat a characteristic flavor, so it is not the same as when made with commercial charcoal, of course living in the city, we cannot afford to drive firewood, so we will settle for coal. Ideal for those who have enough space and thus be able to share with friends tasting some cold beers and a good game of domino.
Recipe for "carne en vara"
- The meat must be chopped into large pieces; the amount depends on how many guests you have. The cuts of meat should be inserted or plugged into stakes (varas), which are placed around a bonfire over low heat, after having put sal, while turning periodically to slowly cook everywhere.
- The stakes must be separated from the coals so that the meat cooks slowly and does not burn on the outside as it will end up raw inside. In addition, so that it absorbs the sweet smoky flavor of the burning wood smoke, it is not customary to put any seasoning on it (SO DO NOT), the real "carne en vara" only has salt and fire.
- Set up the "varas" lines and depending on the type of cut and the thickness of it so the meat is mounted on the coals for approximately 5 hours. You can accompany the meat in a stick with a typical palm and avocado salad.
