Recipe: Corn Pasteles (Hallacas)

the appetizer:

Homestyle Puerto Rican Cooking by Erisbelia Garriga, includes recipes like Stuffed Chayotes (Chayotes Rellenos); Corn Pasteles (Hallacas); and Sofrito.

Cookbook

Corn Pasteles
(Hallacas)

15-20 hallacas

Ingredients

For guanime mixture:
1 lb kernels of corn
1 cup cornmeal
Salt to taste
1 cup coconut milk
3 tbsp of annatto oil

For Meat stuffing:
1 lb seasoned chicken breasts, cut in small cubes (boneless)
1 lb seasoned beef or pork, cut in small cubes (boneless)
4 oz cooking ham, cubed
3 garlic cloves, thoroughly mashed
2 tbsp sofrito
3 cilantrillo and culantro leaves (minced)
1 small onion (minced)
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp annatto oil
1 beer (12 oz)
1 tbsp olives stuffed with red bell peppers (sliced)
2 tbsp small capers
1 jar (4 oz) red bell peppers
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1/4 lb almonds
1 cup raisins

Tools

A package of clean banana or plantain leaves
(cut in sheets of approximately 9 x 10 inches)
1 pkg butcher's string

Procedure

1. In a food processor or blender, grate corn kernels.

2. Mix together cornmeal, salt, coconut milk and annatto oil. Add to food processor or blender and mix with grated corn. Let rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3. In a caldero, sauté chicken, heat at medium to high temperature 1 teaspoon of olive oil until very hot. Add meats and saute.

4. Add the rest of the oil, garlic, sofrito, cilantrillo, culantro, onion and tomato sauce. Sauté for one minute.

5. Add beer, mix, and let cook until meat is tender.

6. Using a spoon spread some annatto oil over the banana leaf to avoid mixture sticking to the leaf. Add one teaspoon of the meat sauce over the oil.

7. Place a serving spoon of the corn mixture on the center of the leaf. Spread mixture on the leaf.

8. Place two tablespoons of meat filling in center of corn mixture, spreading out to the sides. Add two olive slices, one or two capers, a piece of the red bell peppers, a slice of egg, and two or three almonds and raisins.

9. In the same way pasteles are folded, fold the sides and ends toward the center, so that the filling is completely covered with the corn mixture. Wrap in a second plantain leaf or parchment paper, if necessary. Tie with cord. Repeat the step with the remaining leaves.

10. Boil eight quarts of water with salt. Place hallacas in boiling water, cover, and cook for an hour. Remove from caldero, let drain, and unwrap the hallacas.

Serve in a platter with a salad.