The harsh weather keep me indoors and dreaming about warm, comfort food. It makes for easier handling masa.Winter is a challenging time for this Boricua living in New York. It is best to do this the day before actually putting the pasteles together. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour. Peel the rest of the vegetables, rinse them and grate in a food processor. Make sure you dont leave them in the pot too long.
From buying the nicest piece of pernil and finding the best calabaza and the prettiest yautía to taking part in the assembly line, filling la masa, wrapping and tying pasteles… I was able this year to extract a recipe from my aunt titi Julia, and some ultra- secret tips from my aunt titi Doris. Everybody has a job to do in the process of making pasteles. Making pasteles is a family event on its own, one that gathers the family matrons, the cousins and the kids. And nothing brings family together better than pasteles. Because no matter how cold it gets outside, the family will get together. So when Christmas time comes, I know I’ll have the perfect excuse to gather the family together, eat and celebrate.
I discovered our recipe was not inherited from my grandmother, but my aunt learned it from her mother in-law. If youre lucky enough like me to live.While my tías had way too many secrets for making pasteles I was able to determine many intricate details of the fine art of pasteles making, with the help from my cousin Cathy who came all the way from Maryland to help, inquire and take pictures. While that cooks, lets make the masa. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for one hour. The filling pork, ham or chicken simmered in a sofrito of peppers and onions, then mixed with garbanzos, olives, capers and raisins. Watch the video to learn all about their recipe, the procedure, tips and secrets and about the tradition of making pasteles in my family.Delicious and easy homemade Chili recipes Rice and Beans The Latin dynamic duo Empanadas: The favorite Latin snack Easy and fun cocktails: margaritas.It’s common during these celebrations to make large batches of pasteles.Similar to tamales, pasteles are a combination of grated green unripe bananas called guineos, plantains and either yautia or yuca, blended to make a masa seasoned with achiote oil.
Some people add plátanos, others leave them out. There are even rice pasteles. Yet, given the ingredients and cooking procedures, it does seem to have a strong African influence.MR: Are there variations of pasteles recipes, ingredients or preparation procedures among families according to regions on the island or the mainland?MF: There are many variations for pasteles! The masa itself has different iterations, from using just yucca, to mixing different viandas. Cruz Miguel Ortiz Cuadra , my understanding is that the pastel, like many of our dishes, is the result of several traditions brought together.
How this varies by region is beyond the scope of my expertise. Some add raisins, others garbanzo beans. We have pasteles made out of pork, chicken and bacalao.
For instance, while in the beginning pasteles were wrapped in hoja , when the hoja was scarce, parchment paper or even aluminum foil may come to be used. Recipes vary by family, and continue to evolve to this day, depending on changes in taste, resources and even health concerns. Given these variations, there is no "true" recipe for a pastel.
In the end, the healthiness of a pastel meal depends on what else you eat with the pastel (and how many you eat in one sitting!). This is important, especially as traditional diets are often and sadly seen as unhealthy. Still, the core ingredients of the pastel and the cooking method, I argue is healthy, especially with the modern modification of using vegetable achiote oil instead of lard. At the same time, some of these ingredients—for example, the hoja—are available through Asian markets, denoting the global roots of our cuisine and highlighting the interplay of different diasporas through similarities in cuisines.MR: Can you describe a balanced and healthy plate that includes a pastel?MF: Granted, the viandas are high in starch, and the meat, especially if not using lean cuts, can increase the intake of saturated fat. As our population grew, the market responded. I would think that in the beginning people had to improvise (for example, not using hoja,) or depend on those coming from the island for the ingredients.
It is a dish that takes hours to make, from the peeling of the ingredients for the masa to the hour they take to cook. Going into the preparation, it is a family affair too! When people talk about memories in the kitchen, in casa de abuela, they often may recall when pasteles were made—the family assembly line. These small modifications or compromises allow for the enjoyment of these foods and remembering of the existing healthy aspects of our diets.MR: What’s in a pastel (beyond what is physically in it)? Why are they so powerful uniting, celebrating and inspiring families?MF: I think the main "ingredients" in the pastel are time, love and dedication. Ultimately, the pastel is a complete meal even healthier if eaten alongside a colorful salad. This plate can be modified to smaller portions of rice and pork, thinking that the pastel itself already contains the combination of starch and meat.
The pastel is a dish deeply tied with how we define Puerto Rican food (even though Dominicans have their own version). If you see the way they are packaged—a junta—they are meant to be shared with at least another person. Just the way they are presented—the ceremony of opening the string and unwrapping them (like a gift), smelling the masa and the meat, as the steam escapes the pastel—all of this makes eating them a special occasion. Once they reached the table, after waiting that hour for cooking, it was a special moment. In Puerto Rico, growing up in the city, my family usually bought pasteles, instilling "arguments" as to who could find the best pasteles.
Although I cannot share my tías’ crafty hands and experienced ability with you, I’m sure you’ll be able to recruit a collective of pasteles lovers to take on the festive (although arduous) task of the pastelada. This goes to the value of food in our memories and nostalgia, an important value for our happiness and wellbeing.Puerto Rican Pasteles by the Orama SistersLastly, since I know you want to make your own pasteles, I have included our family recipe for you to try at home. Despite the availability of pasteles here, I have witnessed cases that those brought over from la isla are seen as better! Even if we can find amazing pasteles here in the United States, prepared with almost the same ingredients. This is why many of us travel with a dozen of pasteles in our carry-ons coming back from Puerto Rico, and preserve them frozen in our refrigerators for special occasions.
(while following steps 5 and 6)5. The meet will release its own juices. Cook cubed pernil and ham on ¼ cup of the stock saved. Cut ham in ½ inch cubes.4.
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