These arepas with pork are so easy to make, gluten-free and ridiculously delicious!
I’m ready to move to Venezuela.
Seriously, this is how they eat their sandwiches??? Sign me up for this country immediately.
I mean, it’s pretty absurd that we’re still using spongy white bread when we could be replacing it with a homemade arepa in just a few minutes. Thank goodness, we now have P.A.N. cornmeal in the U.S. so I can make these any ole day and not have to give my husband a heart attack with another of my impulsive decisions! Really, though, moving to Venezuela doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, right?? Not when he could be eating breakfast sandwiches every day with these beauties.
I’ll admit, when I was making these, I checked the recipe on the P.A.N. bag about 57 times to be sure I was doing it correctly. It seemed too, too easy.
Only cornmeal, water and salt.
That’s it. 3 ingredients. I seriously couldn’t stop looking at the bag. I thought for sure I was missing something.
But I charged forward anyways, because I’m brave like that. I brushed a little vegetable oil on the bottom of my cast iron pan, and then got nervous all over again.
My husband had just grilled this gorgeous marinated pork loin. My son was busy chopping onions and tomatoes and getting the rest of the toppers ready. And I was trying to block everybody’s view of the stove, because I just didn’t think they were turning out!
I wasn’t sure of the coloring, and when I sliced them open, they still seemed too doughy inside. I’m ashamed to admit, I asked my husband to get some tortillas ready because I didn’t think these were working. I swear, that man has more faith in me than I do some days.
He declared that he was eating them regardless, because this family is all about trying new things, and my son and I followed suit.
They were ridiculous. Seriously, ridiculously, fantastically good. I have no idea why these things made our meal so much better, but it’s been a week and everybody is asking for them again. My son (the meat-lover) barely commented on my chili lime pork. I feel like I should be offended! The arepas were the star of the show (which is saying a lot for me, the avocado-lover)! My son honestly had 3 of these arepas with pork and tried going back for more.
TRY THEM! And then come and just try to tell me that your Sandwich World hasn’t been rocked.
You can use an arepa anywhere that you would normally use bread! Fill it with scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast, lunchmeat and cheese for a quick lunch, chicken salad or a grilled meat for dinner. JUST TRY THEM!
We filled ours with our favorite grilled chili lime pork and then added our toppings. Enjoy!
Arepas with Chili Lime Pork
Arepas are crunchy on the outside with a soft inside. Use in place of bread to give your sandwiches an extra kick!
- Arepas:
- 2.5 cups water
- 2 cups P.A.N. corn meal
- 1 tsp. salt
- Chili Lime Pork:
- 1 lb. pork tenderloin
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 limes (zested and juiced)
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- Directions for Arepas:
- Pour water into a bowl. Slowly add the salt and corn meal. Knead until it has formed a smooth dough and then let rest for 3-5 minutes.
- Separate your dough into 10 sections and form each one into a patty.Heat a griddle over medium heat. I brushed mine with vegetable oil, but this is an optional step. When your pan is ready, place patties in skillet and fry for about 5 minutes on each side.
- Remove from heat and cut open and fill with sandwich fillings of your choice. The arepas should be served hot.
- Directions for Chili Lime Pork:
- In a resealable bag, combine olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, and all of the spices. Use your fingers to knead the bag making sure it is all combined. Add pork and seal bag. Again use your fingers to knead the bag and turn the pork making sure it is completely covered with the marinade. Refrigerate for about 1-2 hours to let the marinade soak in.
- When ready to cook, preheat grill. Grill the pork for about 20-25 minutes until it is cooked through (145 degrees F). Let stand for 3-5 minutes before slicing it.
I made the recipe straight off the bag of P.A.N. corn meal since it was my first time making them. I’d love to get creative next time and try some crumbled bacon, maybe some corn, chives might be good, etc. Have fun with them. But just make them!
Kelsey
Wednesday 7th of March 2018
Is P.A.N. just the brand name? Can other corn meal be substituted or does it need to be this specific brand? Thanks!
Natalie
Thursday 29th of March 2018
You can use any other cornmeal!
Ali Williams
Wednesday 26th of August 2015
Oh, my goodness! This is gorgeous and right up my alley. I'm going to make it soon!
Malia
Wednesday 26th of August 2015
Looks delicious!
Joellyn
Tuesday 18th of August 2015
Is it the P.A.N. cornmeal or the corn flour (are those the same) or the P.A.N. Mescal Mez Dulce (sweet corn mix)??? Amazon is a dangerous place!!!
Natalie
Tuesday 18th of August 2015
Ha! I totally hear you on the Amazon feeling! (my husband would agree too!) It's the P.A.N. cornmeal! Corn flour is something different and I've never heard of the sweet corn mix, although now I want to find that as well! Just straight cornmeal is what I used for this recipe!