Pasteles De Yuca

"Got this recipe from LaGasse's Island Flavors"
 
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photo by Michelle Figueroa photo by Michelle Figueroa
photo by Michelle Figueroa
photo by Idreamov photo by Idreamov
Ready In:
3hrs
Ingredients:
27
Serves:
8
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ingredients

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directions

  • Prepare the achiote oil: In a saucepan, gently simmer the achiote seeds in the oil until the oil turns dark red. Remove from heat. Let cool. Strain the seeds from the oil and discard the seeds. Keep the cooled oil in a covered jar or other container. You can leave it out, or refrigerate it. You will use this oil in the "Masa", in the filling, and for wrapping the pasteles. (on Day 2).
  • Prepare the Masa: Cut the yuca into pieces that you can comfortably handle- about the size of a stick of butter. Carefully cut each piece lengthwise to reveal a woody stalk in the center of the yuca. It's roughly the width of a toothpick, and runs the entire length. Cut it out by making a 'V' cut, and discard- we want our masa to be smooth!
  • Feed the pieces a little at a time into a food processor with grating blade- any stubborn pieces that hang around will be dealt with in the next step.
  • Remove the grated yuca from the processor, switch the grating blade to the regular cutting blade, add the yuca back to the machine and pulse for about 2 - 3 minutes to create a moist, finely grated mixture that is the consistency of grated parmesan cheese- just a little wetter.
  • Place the masa into a strainer that is lined with a cheesecloth. (If you have a very fine strainer, you don't need the cheesecloth). Place the strainer with the masa over a bowl (to let the yuca masa to drip into), then cover with some plastic wrap, and place into the refrigerator until the next day when you are ready to finish the pasteles.
  • Remove the masa from the refigerator. It will have dripped several ounces of its liquid in the bowl- discard the liquid.
  • Prepare the filling: Wash the pork meat with vinegar. Cut the meat into ½ inch cubes (about the size of a small broth cube).
  • In a saucepan, use 2 ounces of the achiote oil that you prepared, and simmer the 2 ounces of sofrito in it on low heat for 3 -5 minutes.
  • Add the rest of the filling ingredients (except the last 3 ingredients: the olive oil, the olives and the red peppers) to the saucepan, bring to a boil, lower the flame.
  • Simmer for approximately 1 - 1½ hours on low heat, covered. Take care that the water does not completely evaporate- if the sauce gets too thick, add a couple ounces of water.
  • The meat should be cooked, but it should not fall apart when done, so check every 15 minutes once an hour has passed.
  • When the meat is done, remove from heat and let cool. You should have some gravy left with the meat, but it shouldn't be too watery. If it looks dry, add 2 ounces of water. In either case, now add the olive oil that was part of the last 3 ingredients.
  • While the meat is simmering, you can start seasoning the masa, but be sure and go back to the previous step to finish up the meat!
  • Season the masa: In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, use 2 ounces of the achiote oil that you prepared, and simmer the 1 cup of sofrito in it for approximately 5 minutes. It should be sizzling slowly, not just steaming a little.
  • Add the 2 ounces of water and the rest of the ingredients listed (except the masa!). Simmer another 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
  • In a large saucepan, bowl, or tray, add the masa that you had removed from the regrigerator. Now add the sofrito that you just removed from the heat, and mix well.
  • Add a half cup of the achiote oil to this, and mix again. Your masa should now have some color, and should have a good taste! If not, review the steps carefully- you might have missed something.
  • If you haven't finished the last part of the meat, do so now. Otherwise, you're ready to wrap the pasteles!
  • Wrap the pasteles: Use twenty bundles of plantain leaves.
  • Note: If you can get the plantain leaf, do use it! It adds a world of a difference in taste to your pasteles!
  • With a knife, remove the central ridge of the plantain leaves to give greater flexibility to the leaves. Divide leaves into pieces, about 12 inches square. Wash and clean leaves with a damp cloth and toast slightly over an open flame (such as the stove burner on low). This makes the leaf more pliable.
  • You should still have about ½ cup of achiote oil left. Place 1 tsp of the achiote on the leaf, or the parchment paper. Spread it out to the size of a postcard (4" x 5"). Next, place 3 Tbsp of the masa on the leaf (or paper) and spread it out thinly over the oil that you just spread out.
  • Place 1 ½ - 2 Tbsp of the meat filling in the center of the masa.
  • Place 2 olive halves on top of the masa.
  • Place strip of red pepper on top of the masa.
  • Fold the leaf (or paper, or leaf on top of paper) one long half over towards the other. It won't actually get to the other end, but you have created a top and bottom layer of plantain leaf and enclosed the contents in it.
  • Now fold both of those back towards the end that you first started from (making the crease at the far edge of the masa inside), while keeping in mind that you are sort of duplicating the shape of the rectangle of oil that you first made!
  • Fold it once more, if you need to use up some paper. Then fold the right and left ends of the leaf toward the center.
  • Tie the pasteles together in pairs (or alone), with a string, placing the folded edges facing each other. They should be tied from both sides, to prevent them from opening.
  • This recipe yields approximately 12 -14 pasteles.
  • Cook the pasteles: In Large pot, bring to a boil 5 qts of water with 1Tbsp salt. Add 12 pasteles and boil, covered, for one hour. Halfway, turn over pasteles. After the hour, remove pasteles from the water at once, and place in a strainer.

Questions & Replies

  1. Rallada
     
  2. I use the yuca rally day but the Mesa came out a little dry. What can I do
     
  3. When using frozen yuca for pasteles do i defrost the yuca the night before
     
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Reviews

  1. Hi Michelle. My wife Odette and I made your recipe for the pasteles de yuca. They were the best pasteles we have ever tasted. Thank you for helping make our Christmas Eve 2012 dinner the best ever. Please continue to post more Puerto Rican dishes. We would love to try them and especially mofongo or empanadillas. Merry Christmas to you and yours. Jeff and Odette.
     
  2. Delicious!
     
  3. Thank you Michelle. I live we're I have to travel to get guineos verde all I could find was frozen yuca. This recipe was perfect. I used parchment paper and plantain leaves ( also found frozen). Que rrrico ! Gracias.
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<P>I was born in Glendale, California but I currently reside in Athens, AL. The military brought me to Alabama in 1989 and I just never left! Although quite different from California, I have come to love the more laid back lifestyle the South has to offer. My husband, who is Puerto Rican, and I were married in May 2006. He is retired from the Army (24 years) and now works for TASC Inc. while I am a stay at home mom. this is a new lifestyle for me as I worked for 23 years before having a baby on Dec 20, 2008. She was born two months premature and while she was in the hospital I decided I wanted to be with her and so I stopped working. <BR><BR>My husband and I both love cooking (probably him moreso than I) in our spare time. We purchased a home in 2006, and I think the main reason we bought the home is because of the beautiful kitchen...which is where we spend most of our time. <BR><BR>We like to try new recipes and Recipezaar has made this easy for us. When we first met he moved to Alaska, and to bridge the distance we would cook (him in Alaska and me in Alabama) the exact same recipe from zaar while on the phone or web cam together. When we had more time we tried at least one new recipe a week. We are slowly but surely getting back to that tradition. Cooking together has become challenging with a 13 month old. One of us plays with her while the other cooking. <BR><BR>I also enjoy collecting cookbooks and now I am addicted to Food Network. I love Giada and Ina the most...My husband thinks Ina is too boring, but her dishes always sound so amazing. <BR><BR><BR><IMG src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/adoptedspring08.jpg mce_src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/adoptedspring08.jpg> <BR><IMG border=0 alt=Photobucket src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/IWasAdoptedfall08.jpg mce_src=http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/susied214/permanent%20collection/IWasAdoptedfall08.jpg></P>
 
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