Four Pasteles Recipe...
Because you don't always have to make 100.
A RECIPE THAT MAKES FOUR SMALL PASTELES
Yields 4 tiny pasteles
1 cup achiote seed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 pound of boneless “country style” ribs, cut into 1/2’’ pieces*
1/2 tablespoon salt free adobo
1/2 tablespoon salt free sazon
1/2 cup sofrito
4 ounces tomato sauce
8 olives
5 unripened green bananas (not plantains…bananas)
1 small piece of yautia
Reynolds Wrap Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
Add your oil and achiote seeds to a small pot and place on the stove over high heat. Stir the seeds to ensure they’re not sticking to the bottom. Once the oil and seeds start to sizzle, 3-5 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the heat. Set aside.
Pour oil through a sieve into a heat proof bowl. Discard achiote seeds. Set aside.
In a small pot, over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of achiote oil. Add in your pork pieces, season with salt, adobo and sazon. Sear until brown, 3-5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium. Add half of your sofrito and saute for 1 minute. Add one cup of water and tomato sauce. Season with salt. Let simmer on medium heat until pork is tender, 30 minutes - 1 hour. When pork is tender, add olives and remaining sofrito and set aside.
Using a box grater placed inside of a bowl, grate your yautia and guineos. Make incisions with a paring knife in all the lines of the green banana. Not so deep that you pierce the flesh of the banana, but deep enough to penetrate the skin. Slide your thumb into the incision and remove the skin from the fresh. Discard the skin. Grate the banana using this side of the box grater…
Whip the grated masa with your hand, seven times.
Add 3 tablespoons of the achiote oil to your masa. Whip the masa with your hand after every addition. You’re incorporating air. Set aside.
Get your mini assembly line going. Have a wide and large enough space to accommodate the pot of guisada (stewed pork), the pastel masa, four 12’’ x 12’’ squares of foil.
Take a piece of foil, add a tablespoon of achiote oil and spread it around with the back of an eating tablespoon spoon. Use the same spoon to add two tablespoons to the achiote oil on the foil, and smooth the masa out into an ovalish circlish shape. Add the guisada in the center of the masa.
Bring the end of the foil closest to your belly and fold it onto the other end of the foil furthest away from you. Close the foil until the two sides meet. Fold the long top of the foil packet twice. Turn. Fold the ends and edges of the foil packet twice. Fold the long way once more so it partially covers the entire pastel.
Boil for 45 minutes - 1 hour.
If you’re not eating them right away, place them flat in a ziploc bag and freeze. Can be frozen for 6 months. But, I’m gonna keep it real. I will consume a pastel that’s been frozen for 10 months. I’m not saying you should do it. I’m saying I definitely do it. Don’t do it. But, I do it.
FOR THE VISUAL LEARNERS
NOTES
*The country style boneless ribs are just slabs of pork butt/shoulder. You definitely want to choose ones that have more fat/fat marbling on them because it retains its moisture. Sometimes they have country ribs from the lean part of the pig and it’s no bueno for braises.
If you want to try the food processor or blender, be my guest. I’ve never done it, so you’re on your own.
If you want to use all olive oil, do it. If you want to use all vegetable oil, do it.
If you want to line the foil pieces with parchment paper or banana leaves, do it.
I swear I did a double take when reading the recipe that you said to not go so deep that you pierce the flesh of the banana but deep enough to pierce the skin of your thumb. 😂👍🏽 which is what I'd probably do on the box grater, just saying.
This is fantastic! Thank you.