Puerto Rican Pasteles

Name: Puerto Rican Pasteles
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 300 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Caribbean,Latin
Ingredients: 2 pounds pork shoulder, diced; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 4 small sweet peppers, chopped; 1 small onion, chopped; 2 tablespoons recaito, or Puerto Rican sofrito sauce; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning; 1 tablespoon ground oregano; 1 bay leaf; 4 pounds yautía , or malanga, peeled; 6 green plantains; 1 clove garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons recaito; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon achiote oil, or more to desired consistency; 1 tablespoon achiote oil; Kosher salt, for boiling water

Puerto Rican pasteles are traditional Christmas-time tamale-like pastries, featuring a savory meat filling encased in green plantain dough.

⭐ 4.2 (971 reviews) Prep: 60 minCook: 60 minTotal: 300 minYields: 10 servings

Category Tags:

Dinner Entree

Cuisine Tags:

Caribbean Latin

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Instructions

Brown 2 pounds diced pork shoulder in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet.
Stir in 4 chopped small sweet peppers, 1 chopped small onion, 2 tablespoons recaito (or sofrito sauce), 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning, 1 tablespoon ground oregano, and 1 bay leaf. Cook until pork is no longer pink, then remove the bay leaf and let cool.
Grate 4 pounds peeled yautía and 6 peeled green plantains (or yuca) into a large bowl, using gloves to prevent staining.
Blend grated roots in a food processor until creamy.
Drain excess moisture from the masa for at least three hours using a cheesecloth or fine-mesh sieve.
Stir 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tablespoons recaito, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and enough achiote oil to moisten and color the dough.
Prepare 20 (10x5-inch) banana leaves, 20 (8x4-inch) parchment paper rectangles, and 20 (18-inch) kitchen strings for assembly.
For each pastel, layer parchment paper with a banana leaf, then brush achiote oil in the center of the banana leaf.
Spread 1.5 to 2 spoonfuls of masa onto the leaf center.
Add 1 spoonful of pork filling, then top with another spoonful of masa.
Fold banana leaf edges over the filling, ensuring the masa completely covers it.
Fold the banana leaf edges together and down.
Tuck banana leaf edges underneath the package.
Fold parchment paper edges over the package to create a horizontal seam, then tuck ends under.
Tie securely with string in both directions. Freeze uncooked pasteles in resealable bags for later use.
Start boiling salted water in a stockpot. Submerge pasteles, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour.
Remove pasteles with tongs. Cut strings, carefully unwrap banana leaves and parchment paper, then serve.