Pasteles - Puerto Rico - Wrap It Up by John Peppin, D.O.

Pasteles - Puerto Rico

Pasteles are made throughout Latin America, thia recipe is my take on the Puerto Rican classic.

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Course Dinner

Cuisine Puerto Rico

8 Very Green bananas These must be green, no yellow. Find these at your local Latin grocery, or look for green bananas at your grocers, but make sure they are green.
2 Plantains, green
1 Russet Potato
1 pound Kabocha Squash (or Butternut squash as an alternative)
2 pounds Malanga
¼ cup Anchiote Oil
2 TBPS Whole milk
2 tsp sea salt
2 TBPS Corn Starch

Banana leaves cut into roughly 7 x 8 inch rectangles. Prepare the banana leaves as per the blog on this site: https://wrapitupfood.com/banana-leaves/
Anchiot Oil (with a bruch)
1 Cup Manzanilla olives sliced in half Enough for 2 olives per pastele
1 Cup Roasted red peppers cut into strips Enough for 2 strips per pastele
Cotton Twine

With a sharp boning knife, remove the meat from the shoulder and remove as much fat as possible.
Cut the meat up into small pieces about ¼ inch size. Once you have the meat off the bone, set aside the bone. Also discard the fat. You can preserve this fat and use it when you cook the filling, but I prefer Leaf lard.
In a gallon sealable plastic bag add the meat, sofrito, vinegar, sazonm, adobo, EVOO, oregano, black pepper, onion, and garlic. Place the plastic bag in a bowl and into the refrigerator overnight.

In a 4 quart pot, place the bone, onion, black peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves and salt. Fill with water just enough to cover the bone.
Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30-60 minutes. Skim off the foam, and reduce down the liquid by at least 1/3. Turn off the heat.
In a fine mesh strainer, strain the broth.
Once achieved turn off the heat, set aside until cool, then place in a plastic container in the refrigerator.

Place the leaf lard in a Dutch Oven and heat over moderate low to moderate heat.
When the lard is melted and hot, add the onion and cook until fragrant, then add the sofrito. Stir frequently.
Once the sofrito is hot add the marinated pork. Cook until the pork begins to brown. Then add salt, pepper, tomato sauce, olives, capers, bay leaves, and jalapenos.
Cook until all is well bubbling, then reduce the heat and simmer until the filling is a very thick consistency. If too watery, you can add a little corn starch.
Once the filling is well cooked and the correct consistenty, place in plastic containers and into the refrigerator.

Place the green bananas and plantains in water and bring to a boil. Boil until they are softened. Once softened, remove the skins and slice into chunks.
Peel the potato and cut up into cubes.
Peel the butternut squash, scoop out the seeds and slice 1 pound of cubes.
Peel the malanga, cutting off any parts that are browned. Cut into rough cubes.
Using a food processor and the grating attachment, grate the potato, squash, and malanga. You will need a large bowl to hold all of the grattings. It will appear you have way too much, but do not fret, this all shrinks down to a manageable amount.
Grate the bananas and plantains in the food processor. Then removew the bananas, place in the regular processor knife and process further.. This will be a bit sticky, so immediately immerse in water, or just immediately wash the slicer and bowl.
Take the grated vegetables and place them in batches in a foor processor. Process until you have a somewhat smooth mixture. Place this mixture into another bowl.
To the processed vegetable mixture, add the bananas, anchiote oil, broth, milk, adobo, salt and corn starch (see note). Mix very well by hand. This is the best way to make sure all the ingredients are well mixed and incorporated. Remove any large pieces, you can re process or discard.
Once well mixed, cover and set into the refrigerator. Some slight darkening will occur overnight, but just remix this your hands the next day, the color will be fine. It darkens on cooking anyway.

Take the cut cleaned banana leaves and place in boiling water until pliable. Be careful not to boil them too long. 5-10 minutes is plenty. Remove and place on a clean flat surface.
Cut the spine from the leaf, and place the leaf with the veins running to the right and left.
Paint the leaf, using the pastry brush, with the Anchiote oil.
Place ~ ½ cup of the dough on the leaf, and flatten it out. Place it towards the end of the leaf closest to you.
Place ~ ¼ cup of the filling on top of the dough. Smooth and even it out.
Place 2 strips of the roasted red pepper and 4 olive halves on top of the filling.
Then place about 1/8th cup of the dough on top of the filling.
Very carefully, roll the banana leaf, so that the dough covers the filling. Then roll the leaf up into a tube. Fold both ends over, then tie with cotton twine (see picture above).
Place all the finished Pasteles in a platter, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.

If you are going to boil these, then wrap them again in parchment paper. However, I find steaming is gentler, and doesn't dilute the pastele. You also don't have to wrap them in the parchment paper.
Using a steamer pot, place the prepared pasteles, and stem them for ~ 45-60 minutes. Remove one pastele after 45 minutes, open and test to see if it is completely cooked.
These can then be frozen or served. If frozen, just resteam them and serve. Freeze them in vacuum packed bags.

Keyword Pastelas, Puerto Rico Cuisine

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