Pasteis De Carne Fried Pastries With Meat Filling Recipes

PASTELITOS DE CARNE (PUFF PASTRY WITH MEAT FILLING)

Steps:

• Follow recipe instructions from my carne molida post.Let meat cool.Note: Although my carne molida recipe calls for potatoes and sofrito, these two can be excluded from the carne molida you make for this dish. You will still end up with delicious picadillo.
• Unfold puff pastry sheet and with a rolling pin roll out to an 1/8 of thinness.Then using a biscuit cutter or cup, cut circles.Brush circles with egg wash.
• Add a tablespoon or more to center of circles.Top with another circle and press down with your fingers all around circle.Brush the tops with egg wash again.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.Serve with hot sauce and hot peppers. Enjoy!

PASTELITOS DE CARNE (CENTRAL AMERICAN MEAT PIES)

Steps:

• On medium high in a large pan, cook the ground beef and drain extra fat. To the cooked beef, add in the rice, cilantro and salt to taste. Cook for about 2 more minutes to heat thru. Set aside and let cool for about 7-10 minute.
• Meanwhile, In a large bowl, mix the masa harina, paprika, chicken bullion and pepper.
• Using a Pastry blender or fork, cut the lard into the masa mix until the masa is crumbly and the lard is pea size or smaller.
• Add the warm water, 1 cup at a time, to the masa and using your hands, mix well until the water is fully incorperated. The masa should not be sticky or dry. If it is sticky add a little bit more masa (1 tspn at a time) or if it is dry add water (1 tbspn at a time).
• Rub a little bit of cooking oil into your hands to make the following step easier. Take out about 2 table spoons of masa and roll into a ball. Using a tortilla press or a rolling pin, make the ball into the size of tortilla but be careful not to roll out to thin. The thickness has to be twice as thick as a tortilla or about the thickness of a pita bread. If it is too thin, the pies will not hold when you stuff them.
• Heat your deep fry oil on a large frying pan on medium high heat (almost high heat).
• Place rolled out dough on a flate surface and add about 2 tablespoons of the beef mixture in the middle. Close in half (creating the shape of a meat pie or half moon). Seal in edges with your fingers and creat small indintations with the end of a fork all around the edge of the pie.
• Before frying, test oil readiness by dropping a small piece dough into the oil. If it automatically sizzles and floats to the top, it is ready. Carefully slide in meat pies into the hot oil and cook about 3-4 minutes per side or until deep golden brown.
• Drain very well on paper towels. You can also slightly press a paper towel against the fried pies to remove excess oil. You can serve whole over a bed of shredded green cabbage or cut in half and serve Sarita's All purpose Tomato Sauce on the side.

PASTEIS DE CARNE (FRIED PASTRIES WITH MEAT FILLING)

Steps:

• To prepare the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
• Add the melted shortening and warm milk and water.
• Mix to a smooth dough and cut into 2 pieces.
• To prepare the filling, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and garlic and fry for 5 minutes until soft and golden.
• Add the tomatoes, ground beef and salt.
• Simmer for 20 minutes until almost dry.
• Remove from the heat.
• Add the chopped parsley, egg, cheese and olives and mix well.
• To assemble pastries, roll out the pastry on a floured board to 1/8 inch thickness.
• Cut 12, 4 inch circles from each piece, 24 circles.
• Place 1 tablespoon filling on each circle and moisten around the edge with warm water.
• Fold over and seal the edges well.
• Deep fry in preheated 375f degree oil for 4 to 5 minutes until golden and crisp.
• Remove with slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper towel.
• The pastries are also delicious cold and make good picnic fare.
• They may also be made without the ground beef.
• Variation to replace ground beef, use finely chopped ham, chopped chicken, or shrimp.

GOURMET PASTELILLOS (MEAT PIES)

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion, tomato sauce, olives, sofrito, sazon, garlic, and oregano. Bring to a simmer and cook until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes.
• Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of meat mixture into the middle of a disco. Fold dough over, moisten edges, and press with a fork to seal. Repeat with remaining meat mixture and discos.
• Pour oil into a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Fry pastelillos until golden brown and bubbly, about 3 minutes each. Drain on paper towels before serving.

FRIED CHICKEN PASTRIES (COXINHA)

Steps:

• Cut chicken breasts into 2 inch cubes, and place in a saucepan with onion, garlic, margarine, stock cubes, salt and pepper and 3 cups of water.
• Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until done.
• Strain solids from broth, retaining broth and solids.
• Finely chop the chicken to make the filling.
• Add the parsley and chopped green onion to the chicken.
• Measure the remaining broth into a saucepan-you will need 3 cups, so make it up with extra water.
• Add all the flour, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 1 minute until it becomes stiff.
• Turn out, allow to cool a little, but while it is still warm, knead dough until it is smooth and no lumps of flour remain.
• (About 10 minutes) Roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thick and cut medium sized circles with a biscuit cutter.
• Place the dough in the palm of your hand, place a small cube of cream cheese and a teaspoon of the prepared filling.
• Judge the filling to the size of the circle you cut-you have to be able to seal it!
• Knead scraps and re-roll, and continue cutting until all the dough is used.
• Fold and close the dough in the shape of a drumstick (the word Coxinha means "little drumstick" in Portuguese).
• Brush the filled pastries with egg white and roll in breadcrumbs.
• Deep-fry the snacks for 8 minutes at 350f or until golden brown.