Mauro Manotas left his family, friends, and country behind to come chase his dream of being a professional soccer player. Although he may be nearly 2,000 miles from home, Mauro still feels very much in touch with his Colombian roots. When asked about Colombian food, Mauro has a hard time choosing his favorite dish. He responds through a translator, “Anything in Colombia is very delicious. I don’t have a favorite dish exactly. But, I think the Bandeja Paisa is a dish from Colombia that everyone should try.”
The Bandeja Paisa is a popular meat-based Colombian dish that is typical of the Antioquia department and the Paisa region in Colombia. It contains chicharron (fried pork belly), chorizo, ground beef, fried egg, plantains, avocado, rice, beans and an arepa. Talk about high in calories! However, there is a reason for this. Peasant field workers in the Andean state of Antioquia would eat the Bandeja Paisa as a way of receiving a full day's worth of energy.
After doing some research, HoustonDynamo.com found a recipe for the Bandeja Paisa that meet's Mauro's standards. Fair warning though, there are several steps (and recipes) involved to create this amazing and very delicious Colombian dish. Try it out with this recipe!
