Pastel de Choclo

(Chilean ground beef casserole with corn batter topping)

Yield: 4-6 servings

Basic Steps: Sauté → Simmer → Puree → Thicken → Bake

Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium flame. Sauté onions till translucent. Add the garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes more. Add the ground beef, paprika, cumin, oregano and salt and pepper and sauté till beef is just cooked through.
Pour in the water or stock and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle flour over all and stir in well. Simmer for another 5-8 minutes till thickened. Adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place the corn, cornmeal, cornstarch and sugar in a food processor and process till well pureed. With the blade running, add milk a little at a time till the corn forms a thick batter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 375º. Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a large saucepan. Add the corn puree and cook, stirring constantly, until well thickened, about 5-8 minutes.
Spread the beef mixture in a greased casserole dish. Top with the corn puree and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the sugar over the top and bake for 30-40 minutes till bubbling and golden brown on top.

After placing the beef mixture in the casserole dish, top with two poached chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces, and 2-3 sliced hard-boiled eggs. Then top with the corn puree.
Add 1/4 cup raisins and 1/4 cup chopped black olives to the simmering beef mixture.
Stir 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil into the corn puree topping.
Some Chileans add 1/4 cup or more sugar to the topping to make it quite sweet.
Set the finished casserole under a hot broiler for 1 or 2 minutes to brown it well if you like.
Pastel de Papas, or Pastel de Mandióca: substitute boiled, mashed potatoes or yuca, mixed with 1-2 beaten eggs and some grated cheese, for the corn topping if you like. The pastel with a yuca (cassava) topping is particularly popular in Paraguay.

Pastel de choclo in one form or another is popular throughout South America. It is especially popular in Chile, where it is often made with both beef and chicken. Sometimes sliced, hard-boiled eggs are added. Traditionally the pastel is baked in a large oval earthenware dish or in several smaller bowls for individual servings.
The meat filling for this recipe is called pino and is also used to fill the famous Chilean empanadas.
The corn used for this dish in South America is more mature and starchier than that found in the United States. That is why this recipe calls for cornmeal and cornstarch. If you can find South American style corn -- called choclo desgranado and found in the frozen section of some Latin groceries -- you can eliminate the cornmeal and cornstarch.