EWe are in one of the times of the year most anticipated by Colombians. Christmas and New Year are special dates for ours; to get together as a family and share with all your loved ones. Delicious dishes are eaten, but they are only prepared in the last days of December, because they will be special days.
What is eaten on December 24 in Colombia?
There are several dishes that are typical to prepare in Colombia during December 24. However, the most traditional are:
- Christmas turkey
- pork leg
- Tamales
- Ajiaco
- Buuelos
- Custard
- Rice pudding
What can I do for December 24? Six recipes that will make your life easier
As usual, the Dec. 24 Families gather to share and eat a rich, tasty and abundant menu. Two of the most traditional dishes are turkey and pork leg, but there are many more typical recipes for Colombian dinners that we tell you here.
pork leg
Ingredients
- 1 5-pound (2,500 g) pork leg
- 1 bay leaf (1 g)
- 1 teaspoon thyme (2 g)
- 1/2 big onion cut into pieces (40 g)
- 1 clove of crushed garlic (3 g)
- 1 teaspoon pepper (2 g)
- 1 envelope of broth with ribs (9 g)
- 1 beer (330 ml)
- 1 spoon of CHOP SUEY BASE (41 g)
- 1 cup of white wine (250 ml)
- 1 cup pitted prunes, cut into pieces (145 g)
- 1 tablespoon mustard (15 g)
Preparation:
Marinate the pork leg with the bay leaf, thyme, onion, garlic, pepper, broth with shredded ribs and beer. Let marinate for at least 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 200C, (400F) 10 minutes before placing the preparation in the oven. Put the pork leg with the marinade in the center of a tin or baking dish and bake for approximately 1 hour (or until no liquid comes out when a toothpick is inserted). After baking, reserve the pork cooking liquid. Put it in the blender glass and add the Chop Suey base envelope, the wine and the mustard. Let it blend for 30 seconds or until well integrated. Put the mixture in a saucepan and heat until the sauce boils and thickens. Lastly, add the raisins. Turn off the heat. Let it rest and serve a portion of pernil bathed with a little of the sauce.
Christmas Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 medium turkey
- 3 tablespoon paprika
- 1 cup apricot jam
- 1 cup melted butter
- 4 cloves of garlic, squeezed
- soy cup
- 4 cups of cambray potatoes
- 1 cup dried chiles de arbol
- 1 cup parsley leaves
- 4 tbsp. Of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
Preparation:
Combine paprika, apricot jam, butter, garlic and soy. Varnish the turkey and season with salt and pepper, bake at 130 C for 1 hour and a half. Varnish again and bake at 160 C for an additional 1 hour. Toss the potatoes with the chiles de rbol, olive oil, and garlic powder. Place in a baking dish, cover with aluminum and bake for 40 minutes at 160 C along with the turkey.
Tamales
Ingredients
- 1 pound of yellow corn (500 g)
- 1 sachet of chicken broth (9g) prepared in 8 cups of hot water.
- 1 pound of precooked green peas (500 g)
- 2 tablespoons of oil (28 g)
- 4 tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped (492 g)
- 1 envelope of rib broth (9 g)
- 4 stalks of long onion including the green part finely chopped 60 g)
- 1/2 cup of water (250 ml)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (20 g)
- 2 pounds cooked pork ribs, cut into 8 pieces (1000 g)
- 2 pounds of pork cut into 8 pieces and previously cooked (1000 g)
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into slices (750 g)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into slices (140 g)
- 4 hard-boiled eggs (200 g)
Preparation:
In a deep container add the corn flour, the chicken broth envelope and the water. Mix the ingredients until well integrated so that the dough is lump-free. Add the peas, stir again, cover and set aside until ready to use. In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat, add the onion, tomato, rib broth envelope, water, cilantro and cook for 5 minutes (or until the hogao thickens a little). Cut the banana leaves into large slices and put 2 leaves per tamale. In the center of the sheet put a little of the dough, a little hogao, the meats, a slice of potato, one of egg and one of carrot. Close the tamale with the first leaf and reinforce with the second, making a tied shape with a little pita. Tie tightly until you finish with all the dough and all the ingredients for the tamales. Place a large pot over medium heat, place the remaining pieces of banana leaves and the 3 liters of water on the bottom, place the tamales on top and cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat and serve hot.
Ajiaco
Ingredients
- 8 cups of water
- 4 medium chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
- 1 cup of dried guascas (Colombian plant)
- 2 lbs Creole potatoes (yukon gold)
- 2 lbs de papa sabanera (white potatoes)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 large ears of corn
- 1 chicken broth cube
- 1/2 cup green peas
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
In a large pot add the water, the chicken and half of the guascas. Let it cook for approximately 40 minutes. When the chicken is cooked, take it out of the pot and place it on a separate plate; Cut it into pieces and cover it with aluminum foil to keep it warm. Don’t throw away the water. Then in the same water in which you cooked the chicken you must add the two types of potatoes, the onion and the garlic. Let it cook for approximately 2 hours so that the creole potato dissolves completely. Add the chicken cut into small pieces, the cobs, the chicken broth, the green peas and the salt to your taste. Carefully mix all the ingredients and let them cook for another hour over medium-low heat. Add the remaining half of the guascas and cook for 5 more minutes.
Buuelos
Ingredients
- 2 cups of cornstarch or corn starch.
- 1 cup of cassava flour
- 1 cup of costo cheese
- 1 cup of peasant cheese
- 2 eggs
- sugar
- Sal
- Leche
- baking powder
- Vegetable oil for frying
Preparation:
To begin, the ideal is to measure the necessary quantities of each ingredient and have them ready on the surface where you are going to work. After this first step, take a wide and deep bowl. Pour in the dry ingredients: ground cheese, cassava starch, corn starch, sugar, salt, baking powder and begin to mix everything very well. After mixing the dry ingredients, add the eggs and butter until smooth. With the dough ready, form balls to fry them. Preheat the oil to 165 degrees Celsius and, when it is very hot, start frying the buuelos. Remember that you must have a good amount because the buuelos have to float in the oil. The cooking process takes approximately 20 minutes, but you must be careful so that the preparation does not burn. When the dough balls are golden, it is time to take them out, drain them on absorbent paper and that’s it.
Custard
Ingredients
- 1 large can of CONDENSED MILK (395 g)
- 3 cups of milk (750 ml)
- 1 pack of MILK CREAM (186 g)
- 1 cup of corn starch (120 g)
- 2 cinnamon sticks (6 g)
- 1/2 cup strawberries (76 g)
- 1/2 cup blackberries (72 g)
- 3 level tablespoons of white sugar (21 g)
- Cup of water
- 2 cloves (1 g)
Preparation:
Remove the lid from the can and place the can of condensed milk in the pressure cooker with water covering the can. Cover and heat for one hour and 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, carefully remove the air, uncover the pot, remove the can and leave until it is very cold before uncovering. In a separate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in half of the milk with the help of a fork or hand whisk. In a medium pot with a high bottom, mix the other half of the milk with the prepared arequipe with the help of a whisk, and bring to medium heat with the cinnamon sticks. When it boils, add the heavy cream and the starch mixture, stirring constantly for 15 minutes so that lumps do not form. Remove from heat and serve in a medium mold. Put the mold in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until it has consistency. In a medium saucepan over high heat, add the halved strawberries, blackberry, sugar, water and cloves. Cook for 20 minutes or until the sauce is thick, remove from heat and let cool. Unmold the custard and serve with the red fruit sauce.
Rice pudding
Ingredients
- 1 cup of rice
- 2 cups of water
- 2 cups of whole milk
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 cup raisins (optional)
- Ground cinnamon (optional)
Preparation:
Rinse the Basmati Rice with cold water until the liquid is light in color. Drain any excess water. Next, heat water in a medium saucepan until it comes to a boil. When the water begins to boil, add the rice, reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes. After this time, add the milk, cinnamon sticks, lime zest and sugar. Next, cook the rice again along with the rest of the ingredients for 15 minutes, stirring the contents of the pot from time to time. When the rice is ready, remove the cinnamon sticks.
