Pasteles Recipe (Puerto Rican Pasteles)

Grating the green bananas, plantains, and yautía raw and folding in achiote oil gives the masa its signature gold color and firm, sliceable texture once boiled, while a sofrito-based pork filling cooked down first keeps the inside moist without turning the whole packet soggy.

Prep

90 min

Cook

60 min

Total

150 min

Servings

12

Ingredients

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Instructions

1. 1Make the filling first: heat a tablespoon of achiote oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and cook the sofrito for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
2. 2Add the diced pork, sazón, and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until the pork is no longer pink on the outside.
3. 3Stir in the tomato sauce, olives, and chickpeas, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the pork is tender and the liquid has thickened into a stew-like sauce. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. 4For the masa, grate the green bananas, plantains, yautía, and calabaza on the fine side of a box grater or in short pulses in a food processor, working directly into a large bowl.
5. 5Stir the milk, achiote oil, and salt into the grated masa until you have a thick, uniform, gold-colored paste; adjust with a splash more milk if it seems dry and crumbly rather than spreadable.
6. 6Pass a banana leaf square briefly over a stovetop flame or a hot dry skillet for a few seconds per side until it softens and turns glossy; this keeps it from cracking when folded.
   Why this works
7. 7Lay a softened leaf flat and brush the center with a thin layer of achiote oil.
   Why this works
8. 8Spoon about 1/2 cup of masa onto the center of the leaf and spread it into a 5-inch square, leaving a wide border of bare leaf.
9. 9Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the pork filling down the center of the masa.
10. 10Fold the long sides of the leaf over the filling to enclose it, then fold in the short ends to form a neat rectangular packet.
11. 11Wrap the packet in a second banana leaf square for extra insurance against leaking, then tie securely with twine in a crisscross pattern.
12. 12Repeat with the remaining masa, filling, and leaves to form 12 pasteles.
    Why this works
13. 13Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and lower the pasteles in, several at a time; the water should fully cover them.
14. 14Boil for 55-65 minutes, then lift out with tongs, let drain and rest for 5-10 minutes before untying and unwrapping to serve.

Tips & variations

• Grating the roots by hand gives the most traditional texture, but a food processor fitted with the grating disc cuts the prep time roughly in half for a large batch.
• Parchment paper and foil can stand in for banana leaves in a pinch, though the finished pasteles will lack the faint smoky, herbal aroma the leaves impart during boiling.
• For a leaner filling, swap half the pork shoulder for boneless chicken thigh; cook it the same way, just a few minutes less since chicken cooks faster than pork.
• Raisins are a common addition to the filling in some Puerto Rican households for a touch of sweetness; stir in 2-3 tablespoons along with the olives if desired.

Storage & reheating

Boiled pasteles keep in the refrigerator, still wrapped, for up to 5 days. To freeze, wrap and tie the pasteles raw (unboiled) and freeze for up to 3 months; boil straight from frozen, adding 15-20 minutes to the cook time. To reheat already-boiled pasteles, drop the wrapped packets back into simmering water for 15-20 minutes, or unwrap and steam for about 10 minutes.

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