Pasteles de Masa

Pasteles de Masa

Pasteles are a beloved Puerto Rican dish made with a masa of grated green bananas or yuca, they're filled with a savory meat mixture (often pork or chicken) and wrapped in banana leaves. This combination creates a delightful blend of flavors and textures. Pasteles are typically enjoyed during holidays and special occasions, symbolizing tradition and family gatherings.

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Prep Time 2

Cook Time 1

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Puerto Rican

Servings 18 pasteles

Calories 270 kcal

Equipment

1 guiando
1 pastele machine
1 knife
1 scissors
1 Large Stock Pot
1 hilo string

Ingredients

Masa - Dough

1 1/3 lbs. yautía
3 lbs. guineos verdes
1 lbs. potatoes
1 green plantain
2 tbsp. milk
¼ cup achiote oil
salt

Relleno - filling

¾ lb. pork chopped in small pieces, seasoned with Healthy Rican Adobo
2 tablespoons "achiote" oil
3 oz. chopped ham
½ chopped onion
2 chopped garlic
4 ajíes dulces - chopped
3 recao leaves chopped may use cilantro instead
1 -8 oz. can tomato sauce
½ can garbanzo beans optional
½ cup cooking olives with pimento chopped
1 -6 oz. can chopped pimentos
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. orégano

Instructions

Masa

HINT - Boil the green bananas for a few minutes until the peel begins to turns black. Then you can just pull off the peel and grate the guineitos in the food processor. Make sure you don't leave them in the pot too long
Peel the rest of the vegetables, rinse them and grate in a food processor. Add milk, oil, and salt. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
It is best to do this the day before actually putting the pasteles together. It makes for easier handling masa.

Relleno - filling

Heat the oil in a "caldero" and cook the meat and ham for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on low for approximately 25 minutes until the pork is completely cooked. Cool.

The Wrapper

Banana leaves. Use 10 bundles of plaintain leaves
Remove the central ridge on each leaf
Divide leaves into pieces, about 10" square
Wash and clean leaves with a damp cloth and blanch them (toast them slightly over gas stove flames)
If you have just a few plantain leaves cut them in small pieces and add a piece to each pastel for more flavor

Assembling the Pasteles

Cover the kitchen counter with newspaper for easier cleanup time
Turn on your Puerto Rican music. . . .
Grease center of the wrapper - using the back of a spoon dipped in achiote oil
HINT - Use a ½ cup measuring cup to scoop dough (this helps keep the pasteles the same size)
In the center of the wrapper place ½ cup of dough and thinly spread it not more than 5" long and about 4" wide. Keep a small ruler handy to determine size until you can "eye-ball it."
HINT - Use a 1/8 cup measuring cup to scoop the meat filling and fill just a bit over the brim. That should measure 2½ tablespoons
Place 2½ tablespoons of meat filling on the masa - a bit off the center
Fold the wrapper in half to close the pastel
fold the banana leaf one over the other until completely sealed
Tie the pastel with string to hold it together. Make one run of string lengthwise and two runs the other way. This will hold the banana leaves secure.
Got leftover dough? Make alcapurrias
Cook the pasteles for 1 hour turning them once half way through cooking. Freshly cooked pasteles taste much better
Freeze them raw for cooking during the holidays

Notes

Other

Banana leaves (or aluminum foil & butcher paper)

If you have just a few plantain leaves you can cut them in small pieces and add a piece to each pastel to improve the flavor.

½ cup achiote to grease the plantain leaves or paper.

string to tie pasteles

A large pot of boiling salt water

For Best Results use Healthy Rican Adobo

Keyword pasteles de masa

Pasteles de Masa

4 lb carne de cerdo
Sal
1/4 taza de aceite de achiote
10 hojas de Recao
1 cdta Orégano
1 pimiento verde – picado
1 md Cebolla, picado
10 ají dulce – picados
6 dientes de Ajo
2 tomates – picado
8oz Salsa de Tomate
24 aceitunas esañolas
Sal y pimienta a gusto

—–MASA—–

7 lb de Yautia blanca
4 lb plátanos verdes
1/4 aceite de achiote
3 1/2 cdta de Sal
Hojas de guineos lavadas.

Pica la carne en pedazos pequeños y sazona con sal. Cocina el resto de los ingredientes, -NO LOS DE LA MASA- por 5 minutos. Añada la carne, permite hervir y luego baja a fuego mediano, cocinado por otros 20 minutos o hasta que la carne este tierna.

LA MASA – Monda las yautias y plátanos y guayelos hasta que tengas una masa blanda. hecha un poquito de la carne y un poco del aceite de achiote a la masa y mezcle bien.

Moja la hoja de guineo (12×12) con aceite de achiote.. y en el centro pones de 6 a 8 cucharadas de Masa. En el centro de la masa pones 2 o 3 cucharadas de carne. Ahora doblas la hoja con cuidado, cubriendo la carne de masa, para formar un rectangulo. Amarras el pastel con hilo de cocinar. Repita el procedimiento hasta que se halla usado toda la masa.. como 36 pasteles

En una olla grande hechas 5 litros de agua de sal, entonces hechas como 12 pasteles en el agua hiviendo, y cocinas como 45 minutos. Quítalos del agua enseguida que esten cocinados.

Add delta 8 tinctures to your day, a few drops melts your stress away.

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You can buy the produce locally, but if you need these