Puerto Rican Pasteles (Pasteles Puertorriqueños) (continuation) (Submitted by Mary Jakubowski)
How To Make:
To Shape and Cook the Pasteles: 1. Use 20 bundles of plantain leaves. They should be long and wide. ( Note: Parchment cooking paper may be used in place of plantain leaves). 2. With a knife, remove the central ridge to give greater flexibility to the leaves. Divide leaves into pieces, about 12 inches square. Wash and clean leaves with a damp cloth. 3. Place 3 tablespoons of the masa on a leaf and spread it out thinly, that it is almost transparent. 4. Place 3 tablespoons of the filling in the center of the masa. 5. Fold the leaf one half over the other to make a top and bottom layer of plantain leaf and enclose the contents in it. Fold it over once more. 6. Fold the right and left ends of the leaf toward the center. 7. Wrap in a second leaf placed on the diagonal. 8. Tie the pasteles together, in pairs, with a string, placing folded edges facing each other. 9. In a large vessel, bring to a boil 5 quarts of water with 3 1/2 tablespoons salt. Add 12 pasteles and boil, covered, for 1 hour. Halfway, approximately 30 minutes, turn over pasteles. When cooking period is finished, remove the pasteles from the water at once. Repeat process with rest of pasteles.
Behind the Recipe:
This recipe for pasteles from Puerto Rican Cookery by Carmen Aboy Valldejuli can vary slightly depending on interpretation, but here's a traditional version based on the general approach found in the cookbook. Pasteles are similar to tamales, made with a masa (dough) made from root vegetables and stuffed with savory fillings, usually pork.
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