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Pasteles is part of being Puerto Rican. It is the most cherished culinary recipe in our culture. Not having pasteles on our table during Christmas would be like not having Santa Claus or the three kings bring gifts. It's a lot of work but it's worth it.
They are made with dough made from starchy roots and other vegetables. These roots can be found in large vegetable markets all over the United States. The pastel stuffing can be made from pork, poultry and seafood. For this recipe we will use the traditional pork stuffing.
The Masa (the dough):
10 very green bananas
Other needed materials:
1 roll of butchers twine
2 green plantains
2 lbs. of yautia (taro root)
2 medium size Idaho potatoes
1 1/2 lbs. of calabaza (pumpkin)
2 1/2 lbs. of yuca (cassava)
6 tablespoons of annatto oil
1/2 cup of annatto oil
5 tablespoons of salt or to taste
1 cup of the pork stuffing sauce
1 lb of parchment paper
1 pack of banana leaves
Grater method:
Peel all the roots and vegetables being sure to leave them whole. As you peel them place them in a large pot with salty water so they won't turn black. Grate all the vegetables on the fine side of the grater into a large pot or bowl.
Food processor method:
A food processor will be used to process the roots and vegetables for this recipe. When I was a kid we didn't have food processors, so we used the fine side of a grater, el guayo to make the masa. The food processor makes this job so much easier and faster.
Peel and cut all of the roots and vegetables into small pieces and place them into a large pot with cold water and lots of salt (pictured).
Processing the roots and vegetables:
1. Drain the roots and vegetables in colanders and place them on the table you will be working on (pictured).
2. Prepare your food processor to process on high speed.
3. Have a large pot ready to place the processed masa into.
4. Have the reserved 1 cup of the pork stuffing sauce near by.
5. Fill the food processor half way with root and vegetable pieces. Pore a little of the sauce into the processor cover and process until it becomes like oatmeal. Add more pieces through the processor slot and keep processing.
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