19/05/2025
Credit to There are over 70 types of arepas in Colombia 🇨🇴 and I’m not talking about the same arepa with different fillings, there is basically over 70 different doughs, made with different types of corn, and other ingredients such as yucca, and wheat. i hope one day i will get to try them all.
For this arepa, i wanted to do a take on a cheesesteak sandwich. For the beef I marinated in a preparation that we call carne en bistec, and the sauce is called hogao. Hogao is the backbone of Colombian cuisine, it consists of green onion, garlic, achiote infused oil, salt, pepper, cumin, and cilantro. You will see it made in very different ways, but it will always have those ingredients.
FOR THE BEEF:
1 rib eye
1/2 onion
1 roma tomato
3 garlic cloves
Salt pepper
1 lime
Cut the beef into thin strips, add the rest of the ingredients as shown in the video. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
When your arepa, and hogao are ready, cook the beef in a very hot pan until it’s no longer red, you do want some caramelization on the beef so don’t move it too much, add a couple tbsp of water to deglaze, finish with mozzarella.
FOR THE AREPA:
The easiest way to make arepas outside of colombia is to get pre cooked corn meal.
I don’t measure anything, just mix the ingredients, and make a ball, if it cracks it needs more water, if it sticks to your fingers too much it needs more flour. The consistency should be like play dough.
I make my arepas with hals milk/ half water, some butter, and salt. Always add the sat to the liquid so it dissolves. I added queso fresco to the flour, added the liquid. When making the arepa I filled it with mozzarella cheese. Always cook arepas on low heat, so they cook slowly.
FOR THE HOGAO:
3 roma tomatoes
2 bunches of green onions
5 gatlic cloves
Achiote infused oil (optional)
Salt, pepper, and cumin.
There are many ways of making this sauce. You could finely chop everything and cook it slowly in a pan, i chose to roast all the ingredients, and mash them in the mortar. I finished with the oil to bring everything together.
