Pastelles Recipe

Origin: Trinidad      Period: Traditional

These are traditional street-side snacks in Trinidad that closely resemble Central and South American tamales.

Ingredients:

1 batch pastelle dough

For the Filling:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
675g pork, chicken or beef cut into 6mm dice
225g chorizo or Andouille sausage, cut into 6mm dice
3 red onions, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp tomato purée
250ml chicken or beef stock
1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
1 tbsp fresh basil, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
10 green olives, sliced
1 Scotch bonnet chilli, minced

1 tsp sugar
salt, to taste

Pastelles Preparation:

Method:

You will also need fresh banana leaves (you can get these from Asian supermarkets) or brown paper or foil to wrap the pastelles for steaming along with stout kitchen twine.

Prepare the pastelle dough first, according to the recipe given.

Heat the oil in the base of a flame-proof casserole and when hot add the meat and sausage pieces. Fry until the meat is lightly browned then add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute more then stir-in the Worcestershire sauce, tomato purée and half the stock.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer (lower the heat) and cook for 5 minutes before adding the herbs, olives, chilli and the remaining stock. Return to a simmer and continue cooking for about 40 minutes, or until the meat is tender and almost all the liquid has evaporated away. Season to taste with salt.

To assemble the pastelles scald the banana leaves in boiling, salted, water then cool under cold running water. Brush the leaves with a little oil then heap 1 tbsp of the pastelle dough in the centre of the leaf. Using the back of a spoon spread the dough into rough square. Cover with a piece of clingfilm (plastic wrap) then use a rolling pin to roll out to 3mm thick. Remove the clingfilm then place 3 tbsp of the meat mixture in the centre of the dough. Fold the edges of the leaf inwards so that the dough completely covers the filling. Repeat this process with the other sides of he leaf to form a rectangle of dough with the meat filling in the centre.

Now place a second banana leaf on top of the first (make certain that the second leaf sits across the first ie the veins run in the opposite direction) then fold the leaves around the pastelle to form an enclosing package. Tie securely with kitchen twine then repeat the process until all the filling has been used up.

Add 1.5l of water to a large pan along with the sugar and some salt. Bring to a boil then add the wrapped pastelles directly to the boiling water. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 45 minutes (20 minutes if using plastic, foil or paper). Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain. Allow to cool until you can handle then unwrap and serve with hot sauce.

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