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Making and serving pasteles at Christmas time is a Puerto Rican tradition. It's hard work, but resourcefully worth the effort. Get together a bunch of friends and engender a day of it. Be sure to take home enough for everyone to transport home.
There are as many pastele recipe as there are cooks. This recipe is my own, base on my likes and dislikes. You can other add or help yourself to away ingredients to meet your preferences.
INGREDIENTS:
STUFFING
2 pounds diced pork
4 ajíces dulces (small sweet peppers)
1 small onion
2 tablesoons recaito
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon adobo
1 tablespoons oregano (dry flakes)
1 creek leaf
MASA DOUGH
4 pounds yautía
6 green bananas
1 tablespoon of brackish
achiote oil
WRAPPING
40 banana leaves (cut into approx. 10 within X 5 in rectangles)
20 Pieces parchment quality newspaper (cut into approx. 8 in X 4 contained by rectangles)
20 Pieces of kitchen string (Cut into 18 inch. lengths)
PREPARATION:
PART 1 - MAKE THE STUFFING
1. Brown the pork pieces in a container.
2. Add the rest of the stuffing ingredients.
3. Cook until the pork is no longer pink inside.
4. Set aside and let cool.
PART 2 - MAKE THE MASA DOUGH
1. In a hulking bowl, peel and grate the yautía and the green bananas together.
2. Stir contained by the salt and ample achiote oil to moisten the dough and incorporate a little color. You are presently ready to assemble and wrap the pasteles.
PART 3 - WRAP THE PASTELES
1. Set the dough aside and prepare a work surface to assemble and wrap the pasteles. If you own friends helping you, set up an assembly line.
2. Follow my step-by-step guide to assembling and wrapping pasteles.
3. Set aside the pasteles you are going to drink right away. You can freeze the rest.
PART 4 - COOK THE PASTELES
1. Bring a stock pot of salted water to a boil. There should be plenty water to cover the pasteles.
2. Boil the pasteles for 1 hour.
3. Unwrap the pasteles in the past serving.
Serves: Makes about 20 pasteles.
MMM MMM GOOD! Just approaching Mom used to make!
They nouns Cuban to me, though! ;-)
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