Pasteles
(Puerto Rican savory cakes in banana leaves)
Pasteles are Puerto Rican special occasion food. The whole family usually gets together assembly-line-style to make large numbers of these starchy, tamal-like cakes and get them ready for the boiling pot. No Boricuan Christmas is complete without pasteles.
Makes about 12 to 15 pasteles, enough for 6 to 8 people
Masa (dough)
- Green bananas, peeled and chopped -- 5
- Green plantain, peeled and chopped -- 1
- Yautía (taro root), peeled and chopped -- 1 1/2 pounds
- Russet potato, peeled and chopped -- 1
- Salt -- to taste
Filling
- Onion, chopped -- 1
- Green pepper, seeded and chopped -- 1
- Garlic, peeled and chopped -- 3-4 cloves
- Oil -- 2-3 tablespoons
- Pork butt or shoulder, cut into small cubes -- 2 pounds
- Tomato sauce -- 1 cup
- Water -- 1/2 cup
- Cilantro, chopped -- 1/2 bunch
- Oregano, dried -- 2 teaspoons
- Salt and pepper -- to taste
For Assembly
- Banana leaves, hard spine removed and cut into 12x6-inch rectangles -- 15 pieces
- Parchment paper, cut into 12x6-inch rectangles -- 15 pieces
- Kitchen string --15 (20-inch long) pieces and 30 (10-inch long) pieces
- Achiote or vegetable oil -- 1/4 cup
Method
Masa
- As you chop the bananas, plantain, yautía and potato, place the chunks into a large pot of cold, salted water to keep them from browning.
- Drain the water and puree the chopped ingredients in batches in a food processor. Add a little water or milk as needed to make a soft dough with the consistency of cooked oatmeal. You may have to let the processor run for a while, and make sure to scrape down the sides. Remove the masa to a large bowl and season with salt. Chill in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
Filling
- Add the onion, pepper and garlic to a food process and pulse to chop finely.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium flame. Add the onion-pepper mixture and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, adjust seasoning and allow to cool.
Assembly
- Get the masa, the pork filling and all of your assembly ingredients together in a workspace. Lay out a piece of parchment paper, then center a piece of banana leaf over it. Wipe the banana leaf dry and then brush the top side with achiote or vegetable oil.
- Scoop up 1/2 cup of the masa and place in the middle of the banana leaf. Spread evenly over the leaf, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Place 2-3 tablespoons of pork filling in the middle of the masa.
- Fold the top edge down over the filling. Bring the bottom edge up over this. Then fold in both sides to make a rectangular packages. Be careful not to wrap it too tightly or the filling will squeeze out. Flip the package over on the parchment so it is seam side down.
- Fold the bottom of the parchment up over the wrapped package. Fold in each side, then roll up, burrito-like, to complete the package. Tie one of the 20-inch pieces of string around the pastel lengthwise and then three 10-inch pieces across the short side.
- Bring a large pot of well salted water to boil on the stove. Drop in the prepared pasteles and boil gently for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Remove from the water with tongs, remove the outer parchment and serve the pasteles with or without their banana leaf wrapping. Goes well with arroz con gandules.
Variations
- The recipe above is a basic pasteles filling. Additional items are often added to the filling when the pasteles are wrapped. Add 5 or 6 capers and 1 pimento-stuffed olive to the filling of each pastel. Or add 5-6 cooked garbanzos.
- Pasteles can also be made with chicken, shrimp or ground beef. For vegetarian pasteles, substitute 2 (15-ounce) cans of drained garbanzos for the pork.
- Stir a little of the sauce from the filling into the masa to give it extra flavor.
- Puree 1/2 pound of peeled, chopped calabaza squash with the masa if you like. Or substitute yuca (cassava root) for the yautía.
- If you want to avoid all the string tying, use aluminum foil to wrap up the pasteles instead of parchment paper.
- Wrapped, uncooked pasteles freeze well for later use. Cook them directly from the frozen state.
Notes
- Pasteles are a favorite Puerto Rican dish. They are special occasion food, and no Boricuan Christmas table is complete without them.
- Don't worry if your first few pasteles look kind of funny. The work will get easier and you will get better at it as you make more of them.
- Spread the work over more than one day by making the masa and filling up ahead. Chilled masa is much easier to work with. Then gather some family or friends and make the pasteles in an assembly line. The work is much faster this way, and it makes for good family fun.
- The special ingredients for pasteles--taro root, plantains, banana leaves--can be purchased at most Asian or Latino markets.
Pasteles are not savory cakes.
Pasteles has been mistranslated. Pasteles are not "savory cakes". Puerto Rican wouldn't relate them to cakes or any desert.
Puerto Rican pasteles are similar to the Mexican tameles, and very delicious. Give them a try.
Not a mistranslation
Pastel is the Spanish word for "cake." Calling them "savory" means they aren't sweet or a dessert item. The use of "cake" in this instance is in the sense of definition 1a in Merriam-Webster's dictionary:
"a breadlike food made from a dough or batter that is usually fried or baked in small flat shapes and is often unleavened."
In the case of pasteles, the cakes are boiled. Tamales are sometimes described as corncakes.
It is a mistranslation,pastel is a word that can mean two things
In Puerto Rico, Pasteles is a very traditional, creole recipe that has its own identity apart from any others. It is used for a tamale like specialty made from green bananas and root vegetables and filled with tasty, savory meat filling. In Puerto Rico we do not use the word PASTEL for cakes, we usually call them bizcochos, no matter what the dictionary says.
Cake is a word that can mean two things too.
Please reread my previous reply. "Cake" has more than one meaning in English, just like "pastel." You don't think a cake of soap is a dessert do you?
???
Who cares!!! Pastel, Cake, Tamale...they are simply delicious!!!
You are sooo right
I was born in Puerto Rico. Ask any puertorican what's a Pastel. We don't call any cake Pastel, we call it bizcochos. When we think of pasteles, we picture a medium size rectangular shape, light brown looking, delicious green banana and stew pork Pastel.Hey,there's no Pastel without the famous olive in the center!. Thanks for the _receta_ and please people don't start commenting on the word receta, we used receta as -recipe- as well as in -prescription-. Enjoy your pasteles!
Feliz Navidad!
You have got to be kidding!!!!!
I love my culture very much, and find it very insulting when my puertorican food is compared with mexican food especially our pasteles. PASTELES ARE NOT SIMILAR TO MEXICAN TAMALES, THAT'S A FACT.
Pasteles are NOT similar to mexican tamales
If you read the pastel recipe above you will find that the ingredients are not even close to a tamale, and not to mention the process is also not the same. I know this for a fact, because I make them every christmas season. Tamales are wrapped in corn leaves, pasteles are wrapped in banana leaves...I can go on and on describing the differences, but please don't compare our food to mexican food.
Isla de Encanto
Pastelles not similar to mexican tamales
So true, but there is some similarity. Both are steamed and the wrappings used are due to what is plentiful to the area. In Mexico, it is the corn leaves, and in the caribbean and south america, banana leaves. Of course different ingredients may be added according to region but the base of the recipe is the same. In any case, both are delicious!
i love my culture too....and
i love my culture too....and any other latin culture one spanish group is better than another.... so get over yourself and mexicanas make them the same way. pasteles and tamales are very comparable because we use banana leafs they use corn leaf's ....we make em with pork, chicken and so do they ...in every recipe ingredients will vary but the out come is a yummy gift you have to unwrap add hotsauce and enjoy.
Pasteles
You are so right, Pasteles in no way, shape or form should ever be compared to Tamales, there is no comparison in any way.
mexican food is delicious!!!!
Hi Im mexican... why do you feel insulted mexican food is great
so is puerto rican food.. mexican food is very exotic not like your food wich is only rice & beans.... very boring...
by the way tamales are great..I should feel insulted comparing
mexican food with puerto rican food..
"Savory Cakes"
Savory cakes are just that--whether bread, fish, meat, etc.--they are non-sweet palm-sized shaped food items that are not of the dessert variety. If it was meant to be eaten for dessert, it would be styled a sweet cake. Cake doesn't just refer to a multilayer frosted sweet dessert--biscuits as well as cookies have been called cakes for ages. A square of grits that have been cooled, cut into "cakes" and fried are called grit cakes. Just about any food that can be presented by taking a bit, making it into a lump, flattening it and heating it in the pan so that it is warmed and browned on the outside is called a cake.
So, you can have your cake and eat it, too!
Pasteles
Pasteles are no cakes maybe in english just to try to compare it with another type of food! Its spanish the name does not even close to the word cakeas a definition!!!
the recipe is perfect, but Pasteles are not cakes
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_Puerto_Rico
pasteles o cakes...
To me the word pastel means "cake" in the english language, in the puertorican language it means "pastel";Both words means the same, the only diference its the way puertorican make the "cake" for cake they add arina de trigo,or corn meal and sugar and for the patel they add masa de platanos o banana o cualquier otro vegetal; not sugar.
Lets the puertorican make the cake they way they want it,to me pastel its bether than cakes.
pasteles o cakes
Are you a moron or a racist. First off there is no such thing as the Puerto Rican language. It's SPANISH maybe a different dialect but it is Spanish. Hence the reason why in some Latin countries it's called pastel or torta or bizcocho or what ever the local dialect calls it. Second you must not be Puerto Rican because you would know that adding Harina (the proper spelling for this word) de trigo or FLOUR! Means you're making bread. Third Harina de Maiz or Corn Meal is used to make Tamales de Mexico. Do all Latinos a favor especially Puerto Ricans and Mexicans. STAY ANONYMOUS.
Tu tampoco pareces
Tu tampoco pareces puertorriqueño por tu estilo en hacer comentarios sobre una receta que alguien ha querido compartir. Los puertorriqueños son por naturaleza muy dulces y cariñosos. Tu sin embargo pareces un troglodita y definitivamente no de la isla del encanto. La vida es muy corta para estar amargado. Y tu, nunca te equivocas? Suerte!!!! y que encuentres a alguien que te aguante.
Rudeness Is It Really Needed??
I really agree with the puertorican that commented in spanish! I am also Puerto Rican of course or I wouldn't be commenting, Born in Puerto Rico but raised in the United States and also proud to be an American! I will say that no matter if you are raised on the island or in the states we are a diversified culture and we stick by our culture as we are all very proud individuals. I myself come from a very mixed family of all latin cultures from all origins and other cultures as well, but no matter what we never forget who we are or were our parents came from. I cook all types of foods from Puertorican,Mexican,El Salvidorian,Cuban,Soul Food, American Cuisine and Traditional,German,Indian and many other cultures, but I never forget who I am and where I come from! For someone to down grade anothers culture it only shows the mentallity of the person making the comment, so for those proud Latins of all cultures and contries out there keep your head up and forget the negative, just keep doing what your doing and always be proud of who you are and where your roots come from and pass the culture on! I love you all...(And by the way you are all correct the word pastelles is confused as it means other things for other cultures!)
With a name like Carlos, no
With a name like Carlos, no wonder you sound so ignorant, too many of you name Carlos...Puerto Rican food equals high cholesterol, diabetes and arteriosclerois. The food sucks, everything is grease and more grease... but the plantains are really good though!
Yes am a racist...
Oh, the food is greasy but
Oh, the food is greasy but you stuff your face with plantins...hypocrite....racists...go shave your head.
Racist! WOW
Are you kidding me?? They say they are racist but they are on our sight looking at our foods! I am neither mexican or Puerto Rican I am Dominican and African American and I cannot believe that someone here has went so low as to even comment on our foods!! While we enjoy our dishes made from scratch and enjoy the beauty of our countries that YOU want to visit. I will see you in the line at taco bell because you dont know any better! LOL you are so not educated and for that you must keep quiet because you sound really stupid! If our food is bad for us then what the hell is the american food doing to us AND YOU! PUTTING ALL THAT STUFF ON THE FRUIT TO MAKE IT GROW FASTER AND GIVING OUR CHICKENS STEROIDS! lol im just saying. your so smart answer that.
I could not have sad it
I could not have sad it better. THANKS. I wonder what ilness that person will get from eating fast foods, or so called American foods.
Platanos
So you're a racist "PLATANO" EATER What a hippocrit Don't get clogged up with the Platanos you say you are GOOOOOOOOD!!!
Pasteles
I love your response to the moron who thinks he knows everything. Your sarcasm reminds me of my family. Dont you hate it when people think that Mexicans and Puerto Ricans speak the same dialect! Aye Dios Mio! It drives me loca! When I am asked to translate a Mexican customer sometimes I have no idea what they're saying. My co-workers say "Dont you speak Spanish?" Some people just dont get it.
Feliz Navidad!
Hello from another Mrs. Soto!
Hello from another Mrs. Soto!
PASTELES
Concerning the pasteles, depending where you were raised we never hear of pasteles being ever called a cake! In our surroundings cake was always referred in spanish in the Puerto Rican community as Biscocho! Now the hispanic community is very diversified if there is twenty spanish dialects you might get twenty different responses. You must be the MORON and RACIST! On the last sentence of your paragraph you state: 'DO ALL LATINOS' A FAVOR ESPECIALLY 'PUERTO RICANS AND MEXICANS' STAY ANONYMOUS! YOU ARE THE ONE THAT HAS TO STAY ANONYMOUS!YOU DON"T LIKE NEITHER ONE YOU 'RACIST'.....Car lost?(Carlossss)THE END!!!
pasteles
Whatever you call them, I love them!!!! I'm not puertorican, but I had the opportunity to visit the island twice and I truly enjoyed eating the famous pasteles with arroz con gandules. Thank you for the recipy! I'm hungry now!!
are we going to change the word completely
ok so some people are confused with the word pastel. do they plan on changing the word pastel in puerto rico because of their confusion. no matter what i think it is an awesomely delicious food. i always look forward to christmas so i can have some.
Pasteles or ignorance.
Mi Gente!!! We Boricuas are fiercely proud! We take offense at the slightest things. Everybody is always trying to be "Politically Correct". Calmense Pueblo! Each language and dialect has different meanings for every word, the same goes for English. So here goes, let's try to resolve this foolish issue. Pasteles... if you want a simple "translation" or description...is pretty much the same as a meat pie. The "crust" is simply made out of "Masa", in English--roots or vegetables, take your pick. There is no simplified way of explaining half of our food in English, as there aren't always the right words to describe it. Simply stated, You have to try our food to understand. Once you have tried it you will know. Otherwise, please keep your ignorance to yourself. Don't insult what you don't know or understand. For the recipe, many thanks.
Pasteles
What is the Origin of Pasteles ?
Is it Taino, African, Spanish ?
Pasteles
Hi everyone my parents are both from Puerto Rico and I was born in New York. I guess that would classify me as Neuorican(sp) anyways Pasteles is the name that I know that by that is how I googled it and I am glad that it was used correctly
Origin of Pastelles
As per a lot of the caribbean recipes which are creole in nature i.e. made by the slaves (africans) from scraps left by their masters in this case cornmeal dough (masa) is based on the african influence, the meat filling, made from scraps of meat left over from the wealthy plantation owners and wraps made from the indians (arawaks, caribs and mexicans and perhaps also the american indians) In any case, the whole meal is a combination of cultures which has become a fantastic and speciality food stretching throughout the caribbean. So many of our foods are similar but known by different names (arepas, empanadas, tamales, etc).
Cake has more than one meaning too IDIOTS!
OMG....what a bunch of idiots! To all of you who replied Pastel has two meanings in Spanish CLEARLY don't speak English well because CAKE in English has more than one meaning too. It's not just the sweet cake that you eat for your Birthday... you IDIOTS....good lord get a f***ing dictionary.
the anger...
I was currently trying to find P.R. recipes because I love the food and I was looking for a wonderful experience. In reference to your comments as exhibited on this site and with unfortunate regret to admit, we hispanics, with exceptions of those educated and well mannered, cannot control our anger very easily and therefore have to turn to foul language in such a public site and skew the perception of the way others see us. There is usually a truth behind a stereotypical comment, and any race that does not know how to behave with civility, can create this malignant concept in others. I am shammed that the world has access to these comments and point at us and say " I knew I was right to judge them... this is how they behave" No matter what foods we make or how delicious they might be, we will be labeled as a vulgar, lower class people instead of the wonderful qualities we possess and/or our rich and interesting culture.
Those who are insulted by the idea of comparing tamales with pasteles. A bit of history might be helpful. Tamales have been traced back since 5000 BC prepared by the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas (Great, powerful and intelligent empires) The preparation of pasteles is not exact but derived from the preparation of tamales found by the Spaniards. The recipe and flavor changed due to the vast resource of plantains available in Puerto Rico and different spices. They took the concept and adapted to create a different dish. But the roots cannot be denied. So don't feel offended, feel proud that like everything else, You can take an idea, music, sport or anything and make it better.
And to the above commentator, who is named anonymous, obviously it is you who cannot speak the language well. There are infinite words to express your anger intelligently, and if you decide to open the dictionary you claim to have, you will see that OMG will not be part of it... and yes I know what it means but it is not proper to use in a written statement genius.
Who is the idiot?
I was currently trying to find P.R. recipes because I love the food and I was looking for a wonderful experience. In reference to your comments as exhibited on this site and with unfortunate regret to admit, we hispanics, with exceptions of those educated and well mannered, cannot control our anger very easily and therefore have to turn to foul language in such a public site and skew the perception of the way others see us. There is usually a truth behind a stereotypical comment, and any race that does not know how to behave with civility, can create this malignant concept in others. I am shammed that the world has access to these comments and point at us and say " I knew I was right to judge them... this is how they behave" No matter what foods we make or how delicious they might be, we will be labeled as a vulgar, lower class people instead of the wonderful qualities we possess and/or our rich and interesting culture.
Those who are insulted by the idea of comparing tamales with pasteles. A bit of history might be helpful. Tamales have been traced back since 5000 BC prepared by the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas (Great, powerful and intelligent empires) The preparation of pasteles is not exact but derived from the preparation of tamales found by the Spaniards. The recipe and flavor changed due to the vast resource of plantains available in Puerto Rico and different spices. They took the concept and adapted to create a different dish. But the roots cannot be denied. So don't feel offended, feel proud that like everything else, You can take an idea, music, sport or anything and make it better.
And to the above commentator, who is named anonymous, obviously it is you who cannot speak the language well. There are infinite words to express your anger intelligently, and if you decide to open the dictionary you claim to have, you will see that OMG will not be part of it... and yes I know what it means but it is not proper to use in a written statement genius.
Very well said...Thank You!
Very well said...Thank You!
Thanks!
Thanks so much for posting this recipe. I've been eating my titi Zulma's pasteles every Christmas since I was 9 months old. Now I can make them for myself anytime!
Come now people..
For the love of Pasteles..
Crazy Posts
You all have got to be kidding me! I started reading the threads above in the hopes of getting some Pasteles Tips -- HOW it went from cooking to Racists BLABBER is beyond me.........Put that stuff elsewhere & stick to the Food please -- It is what this site was meant for! Who cares who called what - WHAT!
I have to agree. This site
I have to agree. This site is for the recipes NOT any of the other conversations going on. Take it somewhere else. I would just like the recipes.
The recipe
When you children are finished arguing semantics about whether or not a pastele is a "cake" and who is or is not a racist, do you think you could post something about the recipe? Like, is is a good recipe, a bad one or a mediocre one? I would like to try some. Is this recipe going to give me an authentic Boricuan pastele or an Americanized compromise?
This recipe is actually pretty accurate.
Hey, aside from all the ignorance going on....... I'm glad to say that I've compared recipes with my husbands 100% puertorican side of the family and yes, you will pretty much get that flavor & look. What else can u want? Enjoy & good luck!
Pasteles
Will you please stop arguing and tell me *when* you put on the frosting on these darned things?
regarding recipe
I think the recipe is very good n organized well, i do add other things like raisins, and garbanzos but over all it was very helpful and my family n friends loved it.. Thank You
NICE JOB WITH THE RECIPE!
I, myself am a Mexican-American. This will be my 1st time preparing a "traditional" puertorican X-mas dinner for my family. It's usually tamales and pozole for us. But my husband wanted me to learn how to make those famouse pasteles. I didn't know what I was getting myself into,at 1st but all the work... it's worth it. Your receipes were a great help. Thanks. I wanted to try something different and deliciouse. Dont mind those ignorant women who obviously have nothing better to do. Well, thanks again and dont stop sharing you knowledge with us.
Good job...
Alan (the freakin Rican) here... Born and raised in NYC as a boy I always looked foward to Christman just for the pasteles! (OK, Santa too)
Now as an old fat guy.... I still look foward to them. But alas, time takes with it family and many of the aunts and grand parents are no longer with us to make such special things.
So, it looks like I will take the bull by the horns and renew the tradition!
Alan
ME TOO, I WILL TRY TO REPRODUCE THIS MAGIC!!!
Alan, just as you, my pasteles ancestors have all passed and I DID NOT PAY much attention to all that it take to make this SPECIAL SPECIALTY... just did what was told and ENJOYED... I to will be making an effort to reproduce this MAGIC!!!
WOW I cant believe all the
WOW
I cant believe all the anger. chill out. its only food.
My lord..Peace and love make the world go around - try it sometime.
Love
Michael and Paula
yo yall are dumm Im fully
yo yall are dumm Im fully puerto rican i live in Puerto Rico too.. pasteles are way better than tamales...Ya can never compare Puerto Rico to Mexico we can talk spanish but theres nutting in common..