Pasteles Puertorriqueños (Puerto Rican Christmas Pasteles)
The Christmas treasure of Puerto Rico: a soft masa of grated green banana, plantain and yautía with annatto, filled with stewed pork, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled. A family project. Makes about 12.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Stew the pork filling
Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat and brown the pork for 6 minutes with 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the , tomato sauce, olives and water, cover and simmer 40 minutes until tender and saucy, then let it cool.
- 800 g pork shoulder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 tbsp
- 4 tbsp tomato sauce
- 12 olives
- 250 ml water
✅ Done when: pork is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened
Grate the masa
Wearing gloves (green banana stains), finely grate the green bananas, plantain and , or blend them in a food processor, until you have a smooth, thick paste.
- 10 green bananas
- 1 green plantain
- 500 g
✅ Done when: smooth, lump-free paste like thick porridge
Season the masa
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Assemble
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Wrap and tie
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Boil
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Serve
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Stew the pork filling
Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat and brown the pork for 6 minutes with 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the , tomato sauce, olives and water, cover and simmer 40 minutes until tender and saucy, then let it cool.
- 800 g pork shoulder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 5 tbsp
- 4 tbsp tomato sauce
- 12 olives
- 250 ml water
✅ Done when: pork is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened
Grate the masa
Wearing gloves (green banana stains), finely grate the green bananas, plantain and , or blend them in a food processor, until you have a smooth, thick paste.
- 10 green bananas
- 1 green plantain
- 500 g
✅ Done when: smooth, lump-free paste like thick porridge
Season the masa
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Assemble
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Wrap and tie
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Boil
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Pasteles combine Taíno root vegetables, African techniques of grating and wrapping, and Spanish pork and olives. They're the defining dish of Puerto Rican Christmas, made weeks in advance.
Whole families gather for 'pastelada' days, forming assembly lines to grate, fill, wrap and tie hundreds of pasteles, which are then frozen and shared with relatives.
⭐ Why It's Famous
They taste of Christmas and family togetherness; for many Puerto Ricans, it's not Christmas without them.
💡 Fun Fact
Pasteles are often tied in pairs, called 'yuntas', and given as gifts during the holidays.
Puerto Rico
18.47°N, -66.11°W
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