Pasteles are a beloved 'Rican staple, and the trick to making them well lies in the masa, or dough, that goes into it. The dough can be made with yuca, or cassava, or a combination of green banana, green plantain, taro, and pumpkins. This recipe is for the latter type. Because pasteles are a labor-intensive food, Puerto Ricans usually cook them in large quantities and serve them at family gatherings and parties, especially during Christmas.
This particular recipe comes from Chef Giovanna Huyke, a celebrated chef, author, and local TV personality who wowed us at Saborea 2010.
Ingredients:
- For the dough:
- 7 pounds of yautía, a tuber similar to taro (About.com's Latin Food Guide, Hector Rodriguez, has an excellent description)
- 1 pound of pumpkin (calabaza)
- 12 green bananas
- 2 cups of warm milk
- 2.5 teaspoons of salt
- Annato (achiote) seed oil
- Plantain leaves
- For the filling:
- 1/8 pound of chopped bacon
- 3/4 pound of cooking ham, chopped
- Annato (achiote) seed oil
- 2 pounds of sliced pork, chopped
- 8 ajíes dulces (small sweet cooking peppers)
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 green peppers, chopped
- Chopped cilantro
- 4 leaves of oregano brujo, also known as Cuban oregano and Spanish thyme
- 8 leaves of chopped recao, also known as culantro
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- 12 stuffed olives, halved
- 3 tablespoonds of capers
- 3/4 cup of raisins
- 1 small can of sweet red peppers, finely chopped
- 2 boiled eggs, finely chopped
Preparation:
Prep
- Grind up the yautía, pumpkin and bananas in a food processor, adding the milk until you get a smooth, creamy consistency. Add color with the annato seed oil, and add salt and pepper to taste.
- In a heated frying pan, lightly fry the bacon until golden brown and add the ham. Simmer for a few minutes and add the pork with a bit of annato seed oil. Simmer until cooked.
- Add the onions, garlic, sweet cooking peppers (ajíes), peppers, cilantro, oregano, and fry until lustrous.
- Add the tomatoes, olives, capers and raisins, and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add the rest of the ingredients.
