Arepas, round 3: Size Matters.

Let's be frank: we all care about size. A mini anything is not really satisfying, however cute it may be. When pressed, we might admit that mini cupcakes or sliders are not really just as good as full sized ones even though they are trendier, and that, while we're on the subject, you don't really like brussel sprouts as much as you claim to.

But more than size, I care about proportions. I dont like making mini things because it is much harder to get the perfect ratio of ingredients and to ensure a perfect bite. Plus, mini foods remind me of midgets.

But in this case, I am forced to make mini arepas, because 300+ full sized arepas would be prohibitively time consuming and expensive. The question was, then, how small could I make my arepa while maintaining the perfect balance of hot dog, avocado, cotija, and salsa?

So last night I experimented with shrinking arepas.. They all came out fine from the oven, but showed their true colors when I tried stuffing them. The tiniest, bite-sized version could fit no more than one slice of hot dog before falling apart (I didnt even attempt salsa or avocado).

The medium-sized version seemed like the perfect size, and could fit everything fairly well, but eating it was very messy. The ingredients came out layered top to bottom, so there was no way to get all 4 elements in one bite. The biggest arepa is probably too big to be practical, but it held together well, and I could distribute the fillings evenly inside.

The winner!

Now, I am not known for my practicality, but I still don't think I'm going to win any hot dog cookoffs by being stingy. That said, calculating the number of avocados I need to buy today is pretty frightening.

Finally, in a shameless, last ditch effort to win over the judges with saturated fat, I am toying with the idea of basting the arepas with bacon grease. Is that within the rules? Is that just another grill disaster waiting to happen? What would el perrito misterioso do?


Less than 24 hours until grill time!

To do: 

Friday:
buy 60 avocados (at least), salsa ingredients for 300 people, and a magnum bottle of Sofrito.
marinate hot dogs in largest container I own (window box? suitcase?)

Saturday:
run 15 miles
nap
make salsa
make 400 arepas
slice 60 avocados and 75 limes
grill, stuff and serve.