Dominican Pastelitos Recipes

[RECIPE + VIDEO] EMPANADITAS / PASTELITOS (SAVORY TURNOVERS)

Steps:

• Combine egg yolks, oil, salt, and baking powder. Once well combined, add the flour and mix.By this point, the dough will be crumbly and too dry. Start adding water by the tablespoon and working until it forms a cohesive ball with the least water possible. I used 7 tablespoons in the end, but it varies sometimes.
• Mix everything with your hands on a lightly floured surface until everything is well mixed, but just squeezing without folding (like playdoh). Add some flour to the dough if it is too sticky, or a bit of water if it is too dryOnce the dough has the consistency of playdoh (One to two minutes at most) wrap, and let the dough rest for ten minutes.
• Separate a small, golf-ball-sized piece of dough. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough forming a small circle.
• Cut out circles of about 2.5" [6.5 cm] in diameter. Paint the inside with egg white (which acts as glue so the layers don't separate).Place a tablespoon of the filling in the center of each circle, cover with another circle and seal the border by pressing it with a fork.
• Cut out circles 4" [10 cm] in diameter. Paint the inside with egg white (which acts as glue so the layers don't separate).Place a tablespoon of the filling in the center of each circle, double over in a semi-circle, and seal the border by pressing it with a fork.
• Heat oil over medium heat in a 1 qt [1lt] pot. Deep fry the pastelitos / empanaditas until they are golden brown on each side. Rest on a paper towel to drain excess oil before serving.

PASTELON DE PLATANO MADURO (DOMINICAN-STYLE YELLOW PLANTAIN PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
• Place plantains and salt into a large pot and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until plantains turn a darker yellow; add 1 cup water to the pot, bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.
• Mash plantains, milk, and butter together in the pot until smooth.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir ground beef, onion, bell pepper, tomato sauce, garlic, and chicken bouillon, adding water if mixture gets too dry, in hot oil until beef is browned and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Spread 1/2 of the mashed plantains into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour meat mixture over the plantains and top with Cheddar cheese. Spread remaining mashed plantains over the cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until plantains are golden and filling is bubbling, about 10 minutes.

DOMINICAN PASTELITOS (SAVORY PASTIES)

Steps:

• Chop onions and the green pepper into very small cubes.
• In shallow pan, heat two teaspoons of oil, add onions, chicken or meat, and the green peppers, stir. Add the black pepper, coriander, and tomato paste. Let simmer at very low heat until all liquid has evaporated. Reserve.
• Mix all the dry ingredients first, then add the water and mix well. Mix everything with hands on a slightly floured surface until mixed well, don't knead the dough (add some flour if too sticky). Let dough rest for 10 minutes covered in plastic film.
• On lightly floured surface roll out dough, cut out circles of about 4 inches in diameter.
• Before using the filling you can add some raisins and/or some sliced olives, mix into meat. Put a teaspoon of chicken or meat in the center, fold over in a semi-circle and seal the border pressing it with a fork (for better results, wet finger with water and lightly coat the edges of the lower half of circle then use fork, this creates a tighter seal).
• Deep fry the pastelitos and drain excess oil on a paper towel before serving.

PASTELITOS (GUAVA AND CREAM CHEESE PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Prepare an egg wash: In a small bowl, beat the egg with a pinch of salt and set aside.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll one sheet of puff pastry into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle roughly the size of a standard sheet of paper. (Keep the other puff pastry sheet in the refrigerator.) Dust off any excess flour and lay the rolled pastry sheet on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Dip a pastry brush into the egg wash, and paint a line in lengthwise along the center of the pastry sheet, followed by three crosswise lines, evenly spaced, forming a grid of 8 rectangles, each approximately 3 inches wide and 4 inches long. Brush edges with egg wash. Lay a slice of guava paste in the center of each rectangle (or dot with dollops of jam or preserves, if using). Spread some of the cream cheese, if using, on top of the guava paste (about 1 1/2 tablespoons cream cheese per pastry).
• Remove the second sheet of puff pastry from the refrigerator, and roll it out into an 8-by-11-inch rectangle, dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Lay the second sheet of puff pastry on top of the first. Using the side of your palm, press around and between the mounds of filling, pressing out any excess air, and to glue the top pastry to the bottom, creating 8 even, rectangular pockets. Paint the top sheet of puff pastry with egg wash. Sprinkle the surface with sugar.
• Using a knife or bench scraper, cut out and separate the 8 pastelitos following the original grid in between the indentations in the dough. Trim the perimeter to neaten the rectangles. The dough should still be cool to the touch; if it is warm, return the pastelitos to the refrigerator on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to firm up before baking.
• Bake pastelitos until puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PASTELES EN HOJA (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC VERSION)

Steps:

• Cut the banana leaves into 8x8-inch squares wash, pat dry and reserve.
• If using pork or chicken:.
• Place a small chicken (about a 2lbs) or pork loin in a crock pot and liberally sprinkle with adobo seasoning until covered. Set on low for 6-8 hours When done, allow it to cool and shred it with your fingers. Now you can use it for the pasteles.
• If using ground beef:.
• In a bowl combine the meat with the onion powder, oregano, basil, 2 tbsp adobo seasoning.
• In a pan over medium heat, heat up oil and add garlic, onions and pepper. Sauté until tender. Add 1/2 lb of meat.
• Cook until no longer pink and drain. Return to heat and 2 tbsp of water and tomato paste. Cook until all liquid has evaporated. Reserve.
• If using cooked pork or chicken:.
• Heat up oil over medium heat and add garlic, onions and pepper until tender; add 1/2 lb meat. Season with oregano, bay, onion powder, black pepper and salt if needed. Stir until combined. Add 2 tbsp water and tomato paste, heat through, for about 2 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. Reserve.
• Peel the plantains, niame and malanga. Grate the raw niame, malanga and plantain and mix with 1 tsp of adobo seasoning and 1 tspn salt. Add the broth either store-bought kind or the broth made if you slow-cooked the chicken. It will look like a doughy mass. Don't make it too wet.
• For assembly:.
• Put 2 tbsp of the plantain mixture on the center of a banana tree leaf, on top put 1 tspn of meat, and top that with 2 more tbsp of the plantain mixture. Wrap the leaf around it to form a rectangle; about 5-7" in length and 3-4" in width. Wrap another layer of parchment paper over each one. Tie string once around and once the other way to resemble a present, and tie a knot in the middle. At this point you can freeze them by wrapping a third layer of foil over each one and store for up to a month, just remove foil before cooking.
• When ready to make, put half a gallon of water in a very large pot and boil them for 20 minutes. Remove the banana leaf before eating.
• We usually eat them with Tabasco sauce and/or ketchup. Enjoy!

DOMINICAN PASTELES EN HOJA AS MADE BY JULISSA CALDERON RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Bijol seasoning and cook for 3 minutes or until the oil turns reddish-orange and is aromatic. Set aside all but 2 tablespoons of the seasoned oil and return the pan to the heat.
• Add the red onion, garlic, beef, salt, pepper, and oregano and stir to combine. Cook until the meat is well browned, around 15 minutes.
• Add the tomato sauce and raisins. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until all of the liquid evaporates and the meat is tender. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Make the plantain dough: In a deep bowl, add the plantains, yuatía, chicken broth cubes, Sazón Goya powder, lime juice, some of the milk, Bijol seasoning, and reserved Bijol oil. Stir to combine, adding more milk as needed until the dough is seasoned to your taste, soft, tacky, and light orange in color.
• Lay a banana leaf on a clean work surface and brush the center with Bijol oil. Scoop 3 tablespoons of the plantain dough into the center of the square and top with 2 tablespoons of the beef filling. Fold the banana leaf in half, then roll up and tuck in the ends to seal. Tie tightly with twine to secure. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium heat and season with salt. Add the pasteles, cover, and cook for 40 minutes. Remove the pasteles from the pot.
• Unwrap and serve with ketchup and hot sauce.
• Enjoy!

MIAMI GUAVA PASTRIES (PASTELITOS)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly flour a baking sheet.
• Roll puff pastry into a thin sheet on a floured surface. Cut into squares about the length of your hand and place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Beat egg and water together in a bowl; brush each pastry square with egg wash. Stab each square a few times with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool at least 10 minutes.
• Mix guava paste and jam together in a bowl until smooth.
• Cut a large, vertical slit into each pastry. Spread 1 tablespoon guava mixture into each slit, making sure guava doesn't squeeze out when closed.