MY VERSION OF THE EVER SO POPULAR PASTEL BORICUA IN A TRAY!

Last year, I saw this gentleman, Chef Grego, on Facebook, cooking his creation of the traditional Puerto Rican pasteles. However, instead of individual pasteles wrapped in banana leaves, he made one big pastel in a tray. That was genius. I was very impressed with the simplicity of his process and the outcome of his creation, since I have made pasteles the old fashion way and I can assure you that they are not easy and are time consuming to make. So, I decided to follow somewhat his recipe and process to make the hard traditional dish using his creative way; in a tray. Thanks Chef.
 
Category:  Entrée  
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:  Recipe prep is divided in 3 days.
Difficulty Level:  Advanced
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free    
Servings: 8 to 10 servings per tray
 
PUERTO RICAN “PASTEL CASSEROLE” IN ALUMINUM TRAY
I actually spread out the preparation components over 3 days to make the prep easier.
 
Day #1: I Made the achiote oil. Then made the chicken broth and refrigerate.
Day #2: I Made the filling: I cooked the pork, allow it to cool and refrigerate.
Day #3: I Made the masa, assemble the pastel tray and baked it.
 
Equipment Needed:
14-cup food processor, or a blender, or a box grater (I used a box grater this time to make them authentic, smile.
Vegetable peeler, parchment paper, banana leaves (2 small size to cover bottom of the tray and the top after filled and before it goes into the oven.)
 
Day #1: Achiote Oil (Can Be Made One-week Ahead)
1 to ½ c. olive oil.
½ c. achiote seeds. (find them in any Spanish/Latin- or Hispanic market)
Cook in a saucepan in med. low until the oil color intensifies for about 10 minutes.
 
For the Broth- (Use either chicken or beef broth. It can be made many days ahead)
Black peppercorns to taste, 5 cloves garlic peeled and smashed, 2 bay leaves and the meat or bones of choice. OR USE regular store bought beef or chicken broth.
 
Day #2: I made the pork filling: These are the ingredients for the pastel filling.
1 ½ to 2 lb. pork shoulder fully cleaned
1 cup sofrito separated
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sazón with Achiote
2 tsp. adobo plus more to taste
1 tsp. oregano
½ tsp. pepper
1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 small can tomato sauce
10 + salad olives
2 tablespoon capers, drained
3 large bay leaves
½ c.  jarred roasted red pepper sliced (optional)
½ c. chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained from the can and rinsed (optional)
 
Marinate the Pork (may be done up to 3 days ahead)

1. Remove the all the fat and the top skin from the meat, discard.
2. Dice the pork shoulder into small chunks: in squares about ½ " big.
3. In a non-reactive mixing bowl, olive oil, sazón, adobo, oregano, and black pepper.
4. Add the garlic to the bowl.
5. Mix the marinade until smooth. 
6. Add the diced meat to the bowl and toss it in the marinade to coat it thoroughly.
7. Cover the bowl and allow the meat to marinate for at least a day in the refrigerator. 

 
Cook the Pork Filling (can be done 1 day ahead)

1. Preheat a cooking pot over medium-low heat with 1 tbsp. of oil. Then Increase the heat to medium-high heat.
2. Next, add the marinated pork to the pot and brown it over medium-heat heat for 8-10 minutes.
3. Add the sofrito to the pot and stir for couple of minutes. 
4. Stir in the tomato sauce, broth, sliced olives, capers, (roasted peppers, chickpeas) and bay leaves.
5. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then reduce the temperature to med-low. Cover the pot and allow the meat to simmer for 45 minutes, until tender.
6. Once tender, the pork filling can be used right away or refrigerated for up to 2 days.

 
Day #3: INGREDIENTS for the Masa (Green Banana Pastel
6 (very green cooking bananas)
2 yautías (malanga) fresh not frozen
½ small calabaza (pumpkin) fresh not frozen
¼ - to ½ c. achiote oil plus more for oiling the banana leaves
½ to ¾ c. beef or chicken broth
adobo to taste
 
Prepare the Root Vegetables for the Masa de Guineos 
Fill a large bowl with 6 cups of hot tap water. Stir in 1/4 cup of salt into the water.

1. Use a knife cut off both ends of the bananas. Take the tip of your knife and make a slit down the back and front of each banana.
2. Place the bananas into the hot salted water and leave the peel to soften while you prep the remaining root vegetables.
3. Remove the tough rind from the calabaza. Cut the calabaza into 2-inch chunks and throw them into the bowl of saltwater with the bananas.
4. Use a vegetable peeler to peel the yautía, rinse and cut it in fourths, lengthwise. Add it to the bowl with the calabaza.
5. The peels of the bananas should be soft enough to remove by now. Peel each and return them to the bowl of water.

 
Make the Masa (The easy way, smile)

• Set up your food processor with the grater blade. Turn the machine on and add the bananas and root veggies you have soaking in the saltwater to shred them.
• Remove the grating blade and replace it with the processing blade.
• Add 1/4 of the shredded veggie mix to the food processor bowl. Puree the mix for 1-2 minutes. Stop the machine and scrape down the bowl.
• Puree the mix for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the masa resembles peanut butter.
• Scoop the masa out of the bowl and into a separate mixing bowl. Continue pureeing the remaining veggies in batches the same way.
• After pureeing the masa, use a large spoon to combine. The masa should be smooth- free of lumps- thick, and almost spongy.
• Add ¼ to ½ cup of achiote oil to the masa in the bowl. The more oil you add, the more orange, and looser, soft your masa will be.
• Add ½ cup-1 cup of the broth to the masa to make it smoother.
• Test the Pastel masa for Seasonings Before begin to assemble the Pastel

 
What do you Need to Assemble the Pastel in a Tray:
1 med size aluminum tray (and 1 larger, to add couple inches of water and place the pastel tray inside.)
2 pieces of prepared (fresh or frozen) banana leaves.
¼ c. achiote oil
1 batch masa de guineo (banana dough)
1 batch pork filling
 
How to assemble the Pastel in a Tray:

1. Cut the banana leaves into 2 rectangles, one that measure 10 x 8” and one 11 x 9”. 
2. Gather the rest of the components to make the pastel: the pork filling, masa, any add-ins (red pepper slices and olives), and the achiote oil.
3. Lay a banana leaf in the bottom of the aluminum tray. Spread a tablespoon of the achiote oil onto the tray and onto the banana leaf.
4. Take large spoonsful of the masa and spread it on top of the leaf of about 1 ½ inches thick.      
5. Top the masa with the pork filling, followed by tablespoon of the broth from the pork filling. 
6. Top the meat with more masa.
7. Add more broth to the top to make it look wet. This will make the masa softer. 
8. Cover with aluminum foil tight
9. Cook at 400 degrees in Bain-Marie for about 1 ½ to 2 hours checking ½ way through.

 
GENERAL NOTES:
Serve your Tray Pastel as is, or with Pernil, Arroz con Gandules, and potato salad, or with a side salad. 
 
To Freeze the Cooked Pork Filling or the Masa:

• Allow the meat to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container or storage bag. Freeze the pork for up to 2 months. Thaw the meat a day before as needed. 
• The masa can be made a day in advance and refrigerated in a sealed container. Don't store it in the fridge for more than 24 hours or the masa will start to brown.
• Freeze the masa for 6 months: prepare as instructed, then transfer the masa to a freezer storage bag. Once you're ready to make your pastel, thaw it completely in the refrigerator. Hang the masa in a nut bag or cheesecloth bag for one hour to remove excess water that may have accumulated during freezing. 

•  pastel, thaw it completely in the refrigerator. Hang the masa in a nut bag or cheesecloth bag for one hour to remove excess water that may have accumulated during freezing.