How to Make Pasteles

Many Puerto Ricans would not think of celebrating Christmas without a steaming plate of pasteles to garnish their table. These tasty bundles of pork-stuffed banana leaves require some effort to prepare, but the ingredients can be found in nearly any Latin American supermarket.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• 10 green bananas
• 2 green plantains
• 2 lbs. taro root
• 2 potatoes
• 1 1/2 lbs. raw pumpkin flesh
• 2 1/2 lbs yuca
• Food processor
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 5 tbsp. of salt
• 1 cup annatto oil
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 packet adobo seasoning
• 24 banana leaves
• Butcher's twine

Make the Masa Dough

1. Peel the bananas and plaintains and cut into small chunks. Set aside. Peel and cut the vegetables into small pieces, placing them into a large pot of salted water to prevent discoloration until all the vegetables have been cut.
2. Drain the water from the cut vegetables and mix them with the cut-up banana and plantains in a large bowl. Ready the food processor at the work station.
3. Put about 2 cups of the vegetable-fruit mixture into the food processor along with 2 to 3 tbsp. of tomato sauce. Process on high until the mixture is smooth. Remove the pureed mixture to a large bowl. Repeat this step until all the vegetable-fruit mixture has been pureed.
4. Add salt and 6 tbsp. oil to the pureed mixture. Blend well, adding more salt to taste. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set aside while preparing the stuffing.

Make the Pork Stuffing

5. Put 4 tbsp. oil into a large skillet. Turn on the heat to medium. Place the ground pork inside and brown it well. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat into smaller pieces as it cooks.
6. Chop the garlic finely using a sharp knife or garlic press. Add the garlic to the skillet with the pork. Turn the pork over frequently so that the garlic coats it well. Lower the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature.
7. Add the adobo seasoning. Raise the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes more. Stir frequently so that the mixture does not burn. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Assemble and Cook the Pasteles

8. Wipe the banana leaves clean with a dry towel. Cut them in half lengthwise. Cut the butcher's twine into pieces about 12-inches long. Set both the leaves and the twine aside.
9. Lay out 1 banana leaf on the work surface. Spread 1 tsp. oil over it. Place 1/2 cup masa dough in the center. Spread that around to cover the leaf.
10. Put 2 to 3 tbsp. cooled pork stuffing in the center of the leaf, on top of the masa dough. One by one, fold in the 4 sides of the banana leaf. Fold the sides loosely over the filling. You may allow the sides to overlap once all have been folded.
11. Place one piece of butcher's twine under the folded banana leaf. The 2 sides of the twine should extend out from under the leaf from left to right. Gently bring the 2 ends of the twine toward each other and tie them together over the leaf.
12. Repeat Steps 2 through 4 until all the banana leaves have been stuffed, folded and tied. Boil a large pot of salted water. Carefully place as many stuffed banana leaves inside as will fit without causing the water to overflow. Cover the pot and simmer on medium low heat for 1 1/2 hours.
13. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pasteles from the pot. Add more water to the pot if necessary to cook the remaining banana leaves. Serve the pasteles hot.