The name 'pabell贸n' means 'flag' or 'pavilion'. People say the four parts of the dish remind them of the four colours of a flag - the white of the rice, the black of the beans, the brown of the beef, and the yellow of the plantain - all next to each other on the same plate.
Each part is cooked separately. The beans simmer for hours with garlic and onion until they are soft and rich. The beef is shredded into long thin strands and cooked with peppers and tomatoes. The rice steams in a pot. The plantain is sliced and fried until the edges go dark and the middle stays sweet and soft.
Diners mix the four parts together as they eat, taking a little of each on every forkful. Some families add a fried egg on top for an even bigger meal. Some skip the meat and serve a vegetarian version with extra plantain. Every family has its own slight twist.
Pabell贸n is one of those meals where you don't have to choose - you get everything at once. Sweet and savoury, soft and crispy, hot and cool. It is the kind of dish that takes hours to prepare and a few minutes to enjoy - which is why families often save it for weekends.