Best 4 Christmas Pastels Recipes

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Christmas pastels are a traditional dish served during the Christmas season in many parts of the world, particularly in Latin American countries. They are made from a cornmeal dough filled with a variety of ingredients, including meats, vegetables, and fruits. The dough is then wrapped in a corn husk and steamed until cooked. Christmas pastels can be either sweet or savory, and the ingredients used in the filling vary depending on the region.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

PUERTO RICAN PASTELES (PASTELES PUERTORRIQUEñOS)



Puerto Rican Pasteles (Pasteles Puertorriqueños) image

Provided by Maricel Presilla

Categories     Pork     Steam     Christmas     Bell Pepper     Christmas Eve     Hominy/Cornmeal/Masa

Yield Makes 25 pasteles

Number Of Ingredients 33

For the Seasoning Base (Recado)
6 large tomatoes (about 3 pounds), coarsely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper (about 6 ounces), cored, seeded, deveined, and coarsely chopped
1 medium yellow onion (about 8 ounces), coarsely chopped
8 garlic cloves, peeled
20 Caribbean sweet peppers (ajíes dulces), seeded and cut in half
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2 broad-leaf culantro leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
For the Cooking Sauce (Sofrito)
1/4 cup achiote-infused extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces slab bacon, rind removed, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder or butt, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/4 cup chicken broth
For the Masa
1/3 cup whole milk
1 1/2 pounds malanga, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 pounds green bananas, peeled and thickly sliced
1/2 green plantain, peeled (see Cooks' notes) and thickly sliced
8 ounces calabaza (West Indian pumpkin) or Hubbard or kabocha squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup achiote-infused extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
For the Wrappers
Twenty-five 12-inch plantain leaf squares (4 to 5 packages; see Cooks' notes for how to prepare)
1/4 cup achiote-infused extra-virgin olive oil
Twenty-five 42-inch pieces of kitchen twine
For the Garnishes
1/3 cup dark raisins
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 medium red bell peppers (about 6 ounces), roasted (see Cooks' notes), peeled, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
50 pimiento-stuffed olives, cut in half

Steps:

  • Making the Recado
  • Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree. Set aside. DO AHEAD: You can make the seasoning base (recado) the day before.
  • Making the Sofrito
  • Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pork and cook, stirring, until it begins to release its fat, about 15 minutes.
  • Stir in the recado, reduce the heat to low, and cook, covered, for about 50 minutes, or until the pork is tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Add some chicken broth if the sauce thickens too much during cooking. When the meat is done, transfer it to a plate with a slotted spoon. Set the sauce aside. DO AHEAD: You can make the sofrito the day before.
  • Making the Masa
  • Working in 2 or 3 batches, puree the milk, malanga, green bananas, green plantain, and calabaza in a blender or food processor and pour into a large bowl. Add the oil and salt and mix well to color the masa evenly. Stir in the reserved sauce. Taste for seasoning and set aside.
  • Wrapping the Tamales
  • Place one plantain leaf square on a work surface with the veins perpendicular to you. Brush generously with achiote oil. Place 3 heaping tablespoons of masa in the center of the leaf and spread into a 6-inch square, leaving a 3-inch margin on all sides. Place 3 tablespoons of the diced pork on top, forming a rectangle. Garnish with 4 raisins, 4 chickpeas, a strip of red pepper, and 4 olive halves. Tie the tamal following the instructions for the pastel wrap (see Cooks' notes). Repeat with the remaining wrappers and ingredients. DO AHEAD: You can prepare the plantain leaves the day before.
  • Cooking the Tamales
  • Using two steamers (or working in batches), steam for about 1 hour (see Cooks' notes).

PASTELES



Pasteles image

Most of the components for pasteles, a traditional Puerto Rican holiday dish, can be made a day or two in advance, then brought to room temperature for assembly. You can prepare the masa ahead, and freeze it for up to several months. Pasteles can also be cooked right away, refrigerated for a few days or frozen in zip-top containers for several months. Some use only green bananas or green plantains - which are unripe, firm and very green - for the masa; some add potatoes or pumpkin; some add yuca, also known as cassava, and others use only yuca. If you can't find one or more ingredients, use what you can find. Lucy Ramirez adds pork gravy to the masa (other cooks may add milk or oil) and makes sure there's a little pork in every bite of the pastel. Traditionally, pasteles were fully wrapped in banana or plantain leaves before being wrapped in parchment paper or foil. Today, many cooks use a piece or strip of banana leaf to give each pastel the nutty flavor of the leaf. Serve them with a side of hot sauce or ketchup. Click here to learn how to assemble the pasteles.

Provided by Rachel Wharton

Categories     project, main course

Time 4h

Yield 36 pasteles, or 18 pairs

Number Of Ingredients 23

3 small ajicitos or aji dulce chiles, seeded
1/3 large green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 large red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cup packed, stemmed culantro or chandon beni, roughly chopped
1/4 cup stemmed cilantro, roughly chopped
3 ounces (about 25) peeled garlic cloves
1/4 cup drained jarred or canned pimientos
8 pounds (about 3 bunches) green (unripe) bananas
2 green (unripe) plantains
2 pounds yautia, scrubbed and cleaned
1 6-to-8-pound boneless pork shoulder or butt (or 2 smaller pieces)
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 packet (about 1 teaspoon) Sazón Goya with Achiote and Culantro
1 10-ounce jar green olives with pimentos, with their brine
2 cups tomato sauce
2 to 4 cups chicken stock or water
Salt to taste
2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup annatto seeds
36 pieces (4-by-5-inch) banana leaf (from a 1-pound package of banana leaves, wiped clean)
36 pieces (12-by-16-inch) precut parchment paper sheets
18 50-inch pieces of kitchen or butcher's twine

Steps:

  • Make the sofrito: Place the chiles, bell peppers, onions, culantro, cilantro, garlic and pimentos in a blender and process until the mixture is fully puréed, scraping the sides of the blender as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use: This can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated.
  • Make the masa: Peel the bananas and plantains: Prepare a mixing bowl or large pot with water. Cut off the ends of the fruits, then use a knife to score and peel off the skin. Place the bananas in the bowl of water as you go so they don't discolor. (The skins can stain, so be careful as you handle them, or wear plastic gloves.) Remove the skin of the yautia with a vegetable peeler and add it to the water.
  • Remove the bananas, plantains and yautia from the water and process until smooth: First, in a food processor fitted with the grating disc, shred each ingredient separately, dumping them into a large bowl as you go. Mix the ingredients together in the bowl, switch to the blade fitting, and process the mixture in batches until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the work bowl as necessary. The end result should look soft and fluffy like a purée. (Alternatively, you can grate everything by hand on the smallest holes of a box grater.) Transfer the masa to a large mixing bowl. At this point it can be refrigerated for a few hours, covered, while you prepare the pork, or frozen for up to 3 months.
  • Prepare the pork: Cut the pork into small, rough chunks about 1 inch long by 1/2 inch wide, trimming away excess tough fat as you go. Place the pork pieces in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in the reserved sofrito, making sure all of the pork cubes are coated. Let the pork cook, stirring almost constantly, until it starts to release some liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the olive oil and let it cook for a minute or two, then stir in the seasoning packet.
  • Let the pork cook for another minute or two, then stir in the olives and their brine, the tomato sauce and the chicken stock or water, and a pinch of salt. Let the liquid come up to a simmer, then cover the pot and reduce the heat. Let the pork cook at a simmer for 30 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through, stirring occasionally. There should be plenty of liquid in the pot at all times, so the mixture looks like soup, not stew. If it looks dry, add stock or water as needed.
  • While the pork cooks, make the annatto oil: In a small saucepan, heat the oil and the annatto seeds over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the oil begins to bubble. Lower the heat slightly and let the seeds cook in the oil until the liquid turns a bright pink-red. Turn off the heat and let the seeds sit in the oil until it cools. Strain the oil through a sieve or slotted spoon into a small mixing bowl, discarding the seeds. Set the bowl aside. (If the liquid does not immediately begin to turn red, your annatto seeds are too old.)
  • When the pork is done, taste for seasoning, and add more salt if desired, then turn off the heat. Take 2 to 3 cups of the liquid from the pork and stir it into the masa until it is the consistency of thick oatmeal, soft but spreadable. You will still need about 2 to 3 cups of liquid to make the pasteles, so if your pot looks dry at this point, stir in a little water or stock so that you still have plenty of liquid, and taste for seasoning again.
  • On a large, clean work surface, set up your pastel-making station: You will need the banana leaves, parchment paper, string, the annatto oil, the pork and its liquid, and the masa. To make each pastel, start with a piece of parchment paper in front of you, one long side closest to you. Use a soup spoon or a pastry brush to paint a very thin smear of annatto oil on the parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch border on the top and bottom and 4 inches on the sides. (This does not have to be perfect: It's just to keep the banana leaf from sticking.) Lay the banana leaf down on top of the oil, long side closest to you. Paint the banana leaf very lightly with the annatto oil. Spread 1/2 cup of masa on top of the banana leaf about 3/4 to 1/2 inch thick. The masa does not have to be a perfect shape: It can overlap the leaf in places and does not have to cover it completely.
  • Spoon a scant 1/4 cup of pork pieces along the length of the masa in a straight line. Your goal is really a line of pork chunks along the center of the masa, so that each bite of pastel has a bite of pork. Add 2 olives to the masa, one near each end. Use a spoon to drizzle on a little more liquid as needed so that most of the masa is covered by a very thin layer of liquid. Don't overdo it: About a tablespoon or so of liquid per pastel is about right.
  • To form the pastel, fold the parchment paper in half, from the bottom up, over the masa and filling so the 2 long edges meet. Fold those edges down to meet the edge of the pastel farthest from you. Press the paper down and crease the top edge. Fold the parchment in half again lengthwise from the top down, so it covers the pastel. You now have a long thin pastel wrapped in a tube of parchment, with multiple layers of paper on top. (This needn't be exact, as long as the paper forms a neat little package.)
  • Working carefully, use the side of your hand to press and slide the masa on either side of the package into the center to give it a neat edge. Fold in 1 inch of the paper on the left and right sides to create small hems. Then fold both sides over the pastel. (If you have a few leaks, it's O.K.)
  • Set this pastel aside, flaps facing downward, while you make its partner: Repeat the process above to make a second pastel.
  • When you have 2 pasteles, stack them together so they line up, flaps facing inward. Use 1 piece of string to tie the pasteles together the same way you would a package, looping the string once across the long way and at least once across the short way. Make sure the string is tight and the pasteles are tightly tied together. Repeat this process with the remaining pairs of pasteles. At this point they can be frozen for several months, refrigerated for a day or two, or cooked and eaten immediately.
  • To cook them, bring a large pot (or a few pots) of salted water to a boil and add the pasteles, either fresh or frozen, in a single layer. Let cook for 1 hour, or an hour and 10 minutes or so if they are frozen. Repeat with the remaining pasteles, then unwrap and serve right away.

PASTELES



Pasteles image

In Puerto Rico, these wrapped goodies are made in large quantities during the holidays, often with several family members sharing in the tasks of preparation. A food processor or blender makes the job easier. There are different versions. This one has a lot of ingredients but it is still very good. You can also stuff them with chicken instead of pork. (Time to make depends on how much help you can get!)

Provided by l0ve2c00k

Categories     Puerto Rican

Time 5h10m

Yield 16-20 Pasteles

Number Of Ingredients 23

1/2 cup lard or 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon annatto seeds
1 1/2 lbs lean pork, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/4 lb pork fatback, cut into 1/2-inch pieces or 1/4 lb bacon, strips cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
6 small sweet green peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped (aj?es dulces) (optional)
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 leaves fresh culantro, coarsely chopped (or cilantrillo, or both)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 (16 ounce) can chickpeas (reserve the liquid)
1/3 cup pitted green olives, sliced into thin rounds, with 1 tablespoon liquid
1 tablespoon capers (optional)
2 cups raisins
2 large green plantains
green bananas
2 lbs yautia (taro root, malanga, dasheen)
1 cup broth, reserved from cooking the filling
1 tablespoon salt
1 lb frozen banana leaves, spines removed or 1 lb fresh banana leaf, cut into 12-inch squares spines removed
20 sheets parchment paper, 12-inch x 18-inch (If banana leaves are not available, parchment paper may be used for entire wrapping)
string or butcher s kitchen twine

Steps:

  • add oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the annatto seeds and heat for one minute to release their orange color.
  • Remove from heat and drain the oil into a separate container.
  • Discard the seeds and return half of the oil to the skillet.
  • Return the oil to medium-high heat and add the pork and bacon. Brown for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the garlic, onion, bell pepper, small green peppers, tomatoes, culantro, and oregano, and sauté for another 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the chickpeas and olives (with their respective liquids), capers, and raisins.
  • Cover and simmer over low-medium heat for 40 minutes. When done, uncover and allow to cool.
  • Drain the broth into a separate container and set aside.
  • Make the dough by peeling the plantains and the bananas, first cutting off the ends and running a knife tip lengthwise along one or more of the ridges.
  • Insert and run a thumb just beneath the cut peel to lift and remove it. Peel the yautia.
  • Place plantains, bananas, and yautia into a large bowl of salted cold water to prevent discoloring.
  • You can grate them using the fine side of a hand grater, or instead, cut into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces for the processor.
  • Fill 1/3 to 1/2 of the food processor or blender container with the cut vegetables, slowly adding broth to form a smooth, porridgelike mash. It should not be runny.
  • Transfer the purée to a large bowl. If you run out of broth, substitute water as needed.
  • Stir in the salt and the remaining annatto oil.
  • Place a banana leaf on a sheet of parchment paper.
  • Drop a scant 1/2 cup of the dough onto the center of the leaf and spread it several inches all around with the back of a spoon.
  • Drop 2 tablespoons of the filling a bit off center. Fold each long side and then the ends toward the center.
  • Slide the encased leaf toward the long edge of the parchment and wrap again.
  • Fold end flaps over.
  • Tie two pasteles together, with folded edges facing each other.
  • To cook, put a batch (4 to 6 tied bundles) into a large kettle of salted boiling water and cook semicovered at medium-high heat for 30 minutes.
  • Turn the bundles over and cook 40 minutes more.
  • When done, drain them well, remove the strings and wrappings, and serve hot.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 251.8, Fat 9.8, SaturatedFat 3.5, Cholesterol 31.2, Sodium 629.1, Carbohydrate 31.3, Fiber 3.1, Sugar 15.7, Protein 11.8

CHRISTMAS PASTELS



Christmas Pastels image

These can be any flavor you want, the kids go nuts for them

Provided by Deb Martin

Categories     Cut-Out Cookies

Yield 48

Number Of Ingredients 9

¾ cup shortening
½ cup white sugar
1 (3 ounce) package fruit flavored Jell-O® mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
⅓ cup white sugar for decoration

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  • In a medium bowl, cream the shortening, sugar, and flavored gelatin. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture.
  • Roll cookies into 1 inch balls place them on an unprepared cookie sheet, and flatten with a cookie stamp dipped in sugar. If you don 't have a cookie stamp, flatten cookies with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes , until set but not brown.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 75.5 calories, Carbohydrate 10.1 g, Cholesterol 7.8 mg, Fat 3.5 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 1.1 g, SaturatedFat 0.9 g, Sodium 66.2 mg, Sugar 3.5 g

Tips for Making Christmas Pastels:

  • Use fresh, high-quality ingredients. This will make a big difference in the flavor and texture of your pastels.
  • Make sure your masa harina is fresh. Old masa harina can be grainy and difficult to work with.
  • Be patient when mixing the masa. It takes a few minutes for the masa harina to fully absorb the water and form a smooth dough.
  • Don't overfill the pasteles. Otherwise, they will be difficult to fold and seal.
  • Be careful when frying the pasteles. They can easily burn, so be sure to watch them closely.
  • Serve the pasteles immediately. They are best enjoyed when they are hot and crispy.

Conclusion:

Christmas pasteles are a delicious and traditional dish that is enjoyed by many people around the world. They are a versatile dish that can be served as an appetizer, main course, or side dish. With a little planning and effort, you can make delicious Christmas pasteles that your family and friends will love.

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