Pastelles

Ingredients

• 2 cups ground corn flour ( this is not cornstarch )
• 1 ounce margarine
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 4 cups boiling water
• banana leaves ( you can use foil, but pastelles taste better wrapped in banana leaves)

Filling

• 2 lbs lean meat - ground - ( this can be ½ beef, ½ pork - or only beef, or chicken)
• 6 red and green chilli peppers - cut up very small- seasoning peppers, not hot
• 1 clove garlic grated
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 2 tablespoons raisins - whole
• 2 tablespoons raisins - chopped
• 3 onions - minced
• 1 bunch herbs for pastelles ( Spanish thyme, fine leaf thyme, french thyme, broad leaf thyme, basil remove stems, - use one tsp of each, cut up very small
• 8 olives - cut into very small pieces
• 6 olives, cut up and added to one cup of water to make stock
• a little tomato ketchup

Procedures

1. Put ground corn into a mixing bow.
2. Cut margarine into small pieces and add to corn.
3. Add oil, salt, sugar.
4. Pour boiling water over mixture ( use 3.
5. 5 cups at first ), then mix quickly with a round edged knife.
6. Mixture must be smooth, but not sticky.
7. Taste and add more sugar or salt, if needed.

Filling

1. Heat oil, add garlic- fry until golden brown- remove garlic.
2. Add meat and sauté until light brown.
3. Add ketchup and worcestershire sauce.
4. Turn heat low and simmer for about 5 mins.
5. Add pastelle herbs, chopped chilli peppers and continue simmering until meat is tender.
6. Add stock and continue to simmer until filling is tender and moist.
7. Taste to see if seasonings need to be added.

Assembling the pastelles

1. Prepare banana leaves - wilt leaves in boiling water, take out and wipe dry- then cut up into sizes to wrap pastelles in.
2. Rub leaves with oil ( you can colour the oil with roo-coo (anatto) by putting the seeds into a piece of muslin, tied together, then soaked in hot oil ( not boiling oil otherwise the oil will turn black) - this is optional.
3. Place a small ball of corn mixture on the oiled leaf, pat down.
4. Place a piece of muslin over the patted down mixture and roll out thinly, using either a rolling pin or pastelle press.
5. Place a tablespoon of meat filling in the centre, ad a little cut raisins, olives and capers.
6. Fold half of leaf over ( lengthways ) in such a manner that the corn mixture also folds completely over the meat filling, then bring other half of the leaf over to cover.
7. Use a second leaf on opposite grain, tightly fold in sides and tie up with a piece of twine.
8. At this stage, you can also use a piece of foil instead of the second leaf.
9. Steam pastelles covered in a colander or similar container over boiling water for 1½ hours.
10. To reheat, steam pastelles just before serving.