Crucian Pasteles
Green banana and root vegetable dough filled with seasoned pork, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled until firm, a holiday dish shared between St. Croix's Puerto Rican and Crucian communities. It's labor-intensive and typically made in large batches.
- Prep
- 90 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 150 min
- Servings
- 10
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Calories
- 340 kcal
Equipment
- •Banana leaves or parchment and foil
- •Kitchen twine
- •Large pot
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- fat
- 14
- carbs
- 38
- protein
- 16
- calories
- 340
Instructions
- 1
Cook diced pork with sofrito (aromatic vegetable base), olives, capers, and salt in a skillet until browned. Let the filling cool.
- 2
Mix grated green banana, yautia, and pumpkin with coconut milk, annatto oil, and salt to form the dough (masa).
- 3
Pass banana leaves quickly over an open flame on the stovetop to soften them and make them bendable.
- 4
Put a portion of masa in the center of each leaf. Spread it into a thin layer.
- 5
Add a spoonful of the pork filling directly in the center of the masa.
- 6
Fold the leaf over the filling to enclose it completely into a rectangular packet.
- 7
Wrap in a second leaf if needed. Tie the packet securely with kitchen twine.
- 8
Boil the pasteles in a large pot of salted water for 45-60 minutes until firm.
- 9
Remove them from the pot and drain well. Let rest 10 minutes before unwrapping to serve.
Chef's tips
Grate the green bananas and root vegetables finely and work quickly so they do not discolor. Add a little annatto oil to keep the dough a rich golden color.
Storage
Refrigerate boiled, unopened pasteles up to 5 days; freeze uncooked for up to 3 months.
Reheating
Reheat by boiling frozen or refrigerated pasteles in their wrapping for 20-30 minutes.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Wrapping the packets too loosely, which allows boiling water to seep into the filling
- •Under-seasoning the pork filling, which needs bold flavor to balance the mild dough
Serving suggestions
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