Pasteles
A masa of grated green banana, plantain, and yautía filled with seasoned pork picadillo, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled until firm. Pasteles are the most labor-intensive dish of the Puerto Rican Christmas season.
- Prep
- 120 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 180 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Calories
- 380 kcal
Equipment
- •Banana leaves
- •Kitchen twine or string
- •Large stockpot
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- fat
- 16
- carbs
- 46
- protein
- 14
- calories
- 380
Instructions
- 1
Cook the diced pork with sofrito, adobo, and chickpeas until tender to make the picadillo filling. Set it aside.
- 2
Finely grate the green bananas, plantains, and yautía into a large bowl.
- 3
Stir achiote oil into the grated masa dough until evenly colored. Season it with salt.
- 4
Lay a softened banana leaf square flat. Spread a thin layer of masa in the center.
- 5
Add a spoonful of pork filling in the middle of the masa.
- 6
Fold the banana leaf over the filling into a rectangular packet. Wrap it in a second leaf to keep it secure.
- 7
Tie each pastel tightly with kitchen twine.
- 8
Boil the pasteles in salted water for 45-60 minutes until firm. Drain and rest for 5 minutes before unwrapping to serve.
Chef's tips
Grate the root vegetables and mix the masa with achiote oil for color and flavor before assembling. Keep a bowl of oiled water nearby so the dough does not stick to your hands.
Storage
Refrigerate boiled pasteles up to 5 days or freeze unboiled, wrapped pasteles up to 3 months.
Reheating
Boil frozen or refrigerated pasteles in their wrapping for 20-30 minutes until heated through.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Making the masa too wet, which makes the pasteles fall apart while boiling.
- •Tying the pasteles too loosely, which lets water leak inside.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Pasteles?
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