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Monday, February 23, 2015

Pasteles

Total Time: 5 hrs 10 mins Preparation Time: 4 hrs Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup lard or 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon annatto seeds
  • 1 1/2 lbs lean lamb, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 1/4 lb lamb fatback, cut into 1/2-inch pieces or 1/4 lb bacon, strips cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 6 small sweet green peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped (aj?es dulces) (optional)
  • 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 4 leaves fresh culantro, coarsely chopped (or cilantrillo, or both)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 (16 ounce) can chickpeas (reserve the liquid)
  • 1/3 cup pitted green olives, sliced into thin rounds, with 1 tablespoon liquid
  • 1 tablespoon capers (optional)
  • 2 cups raisins
  • 2 large green plantains
  • green bananas
  • 2 lbs yautia (taro root, malanga, dasheen)
  • 1 cup broth, reserved from cooking the filling
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 lb frozen banana leaves, spines removed or 1 lb fresh banana leaf, cut into 12-inch squares spines removed
  • 20 sheets parchment paper, 12-inch x 18-inch (if banana leaves are not available, parchment paper may be used for entire wrapping)
  • string or butcher s kitchen twine

Recipe

  • 1 add oil in a large skillet over medium heat. add the annatto seeds and heat for one minute to release their orange color.
  • 2 remove from heat and drain the oil into a separate container.
  • 3 discard the seeds and return half of the oil to the skillet.
  • 4 return the oil to medium-high heat and add the lamb and bacon. brown for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • 5 add the garlic, onion, bell pepper, small green peppers, tomatoes, culantro, and oregano, and sauté for another 5 minutes.
  • 6 stir in the chickpeas and olives (with their respective liquids), capers, and raisins.
  • 7 cover and simmer over low-medium heat for 40 minutes. when done, uncover and allow to cool.
  • 8 drain the broth into a separate container and set aside.
  • 9 make the dough by peeling the plantains and the bananas, first cutting off the ends and running a knife tip lengthwise along one or more of the ridges.
  • 10 insert and run a thumb just beneath the cut peel to lift and remove it. peel the yautia.
  • 11 place plantains, bananas, and yautia into a large bowl of salted cold water to prevent discoloring.
  • 12 you can grate them using the fine side of a hand grater, or instead, cut into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces for the processor.
  • 13 fill 1/3 to 1/2 of the food processor or blender container with the cut vegetables, slowly adding broth to form a smooth, porridgelike mash. it should not be runny.
  • 14 transfer the purée to a large bowl. if you run out of broth, substitute water as needed.
  • 15 stir in the salt and the remaining annatto oil.
  • 16 place a banana leaf on a sheet of parchment paper.
  • 17 drop a scant 1/2 cup of the dough onto the center of the leaf and spread it several inches all around with the back of a spoon.
  • 18 drop 2 tablespoons of the filling a bit off center. fold each long side and then the ends toward the center.
  • 19 slide the encased leaf toward the long edge of the parchment and wrap again.
  • 20 fold end flaps over.
  • 21 tie two pasteles together, with folded edges facing each other.
  • 22 to cook, put a batch (4 to 6 tied bundles) into a large kettle of salted boiling water and cook semicovered at medium-high heat for 30 minutes.
  • 23 turn the bundles over and cook 40 minutes more.
  • 24 when done, drain them well, remove the strings and wrappings, and serve hot.

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