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Green Pasteles
Pasteles verdes or green pasteles are one of the best and tastiest uses of green plantains! Pasteles are a Puerto Rican tamale like food, consisting of a masa, which consists of plantains, yucca root, potato and green bananas and a meat filling of beef, chicken or most often pork. There is also an orange colored pastele which has pumpkin in the masa, hence the green discription to differentiate. It is a labor intensive food that is usually made around Christmas in large enough batches to last most of the year.
Pasteles are not hard to make, stuff the meat mixture into the masa and boil it for an hour. The real labor is the grating of the masa and the folding and tying of the wax paper. For these reasons it is usually made around Christmas time when the labor can be divided and even the kids can be put to work on grating the plantains, potatoes, green bananas and yucca roots. The best course of action is to make up the masa and meat stuffing the day before. Then set up an assembly line of folding and tying, the following day.
Using bacon grease is only a suggestion, that part can be omitted and you can add 4Tbs. of olive oil instead. If you are a vegetarian you can omit the meat and substitute all garbanzo beans instead of the meat. The banana leaf is optional, but I think you'll find it adds a lot of taste and texture. Yucca root is optional, if you can find some and they aren't too expensive, try them!
Ingredients For 12 Pasteles
Masa
Banana leaf squares 4in x4in
1 Roll of wax paper
5 Green plantains
1 lb Green bananas
1 lb yucca root
3 med potatoes
3/4 Cup olive oil
1 0z Annato seed achiote
3/4 Tsp. salt
Meat mixture Ingredients
1 Lb. Pork tender loin
1/2 Lb. Ham
4 Slices of bacon thick sliced
1 Large onion chopped
1 Tbs minced garlic
2 Tbs small capers
3/4 Cup chunky salsa
1 Sazon Goya culantro and achiote flavor packs
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/8 Tsp. pepper
1/3 Cup Cilantro finely chopped
1 16oz. can garbanzo beans
15 Sliced pitted green olives
Directions
Begin by frying up 4 pieces of thick bacon. Cook over low to medium heat until done but not crispy. Remove the beacon and set aside. To the bacon grease add 2 Tbs. olive oil and sautee a large onion. Then add the 15 sliced olives, 2 Tbs. capers and 1 Tbs. of minced garlic. When onions are transparent add 1/3 cup cilantro, then add 1/8 tsp. pepper. Next add 3/4 cup salsa and Sazon Goya flavor pack and set aside. Now chop pork loin into small square pieces (it's easier if meat is slightly frozen), then do the same for the ham. Add a tbs. of olive oil to a pan and over medium heat cook up the pork loin squares until about half done, the add the ham squares cook until just done( save all pork juices to add to your masa later). Pull out the meat and put in the pan with the onions(sofritto) and set aside.
Begin making the masa peeling the bananas and plantains potatoes and yucca roots and adding them to a large bowl of water that has 2 tbs. of salt in it (this keeps everything from discoloring). Then begin grating all of the masa items into a bowl. once all items are grated add 1/2 cup of annato seed oil to masa mixture.(make annato seed oil by slowly warming 1/4 tbs.annato seed achiote in 3/4 cups olive oil, the strain out seeds with wire strainer). Retain 1/4 cup of annato to brush on wax paper later. At this time add the pork juices that you saved from making the meat mixture. Add about 3/4 tsp of salt (or 1/4 tsp at a time until correct salty taste is reached). Mix in a blender or mixer until a doughy consistency is reached.
Begin making the pasteles by placing a 14 inch piece of wax (about 12in.wide) long ways in front of you. Now place a piece of banana leaf about 4in. by 4 in. in the center. Brush the leaf with annato oil and the put about 1 and a half large serving size spoons of masa. Next add 2 to 3 tbs of meat mixture to the masa. In opposite corners put a garbanzo bean and a whole olive (this is optional). Then with a spoon cover the top, bottom and sides with masa (see picture). Next roll in wax paper and push out flat, then from each each end push the masa back to the center and fold the ends. Now tie off. If you have problems with one that isn't folded well simply add another sheet of wax paper on top! If the wax paper proves difficult you can use foil, I just think wax paper freezes better. Once all pasteles are prepared, put in a large pot of boiling water and simmer on low for one hour. For pasteles to save, use a food saver and freeze them.
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