Learn to Make Pastelitos

Ingredients:

• 1lb. Ground meat

• 1 small yellow onion (chopped)

• 2 Tbsp. of Sofrito (recipe to follow)

• About 1 tsp. of Adobo

• 1 tsp of oregano

• Tomato sauce

• 2-3 Bay leaves

• 1 10-pack of pastelillo discs

Sofrito Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 green bell pepper

• ½ lb ajies dulces

• 1 bunch or recao (culantro)

• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped

• 10 large garlic cloves, peeled

• A small bunch of cilantro

• Olive oil (optional)

Add everything into the food processor. Blend until pureed. Add a little olive oil to make it less clumpy if desired. And put away in an airtight container and store for later use.

Pastelitos

1. Place your pan on medium-high heat. Allow for it to get hot.

2. Add meat, onions, sofrito, adobo, and oregano to the pan and mix well.

3. Stir and cook until meat is browned.

4. When meat completely browns (is cooked) add about half a can of tomato sauce to the meat and stir.

5. Add enough water to cover the meat. Add 2-3 bay leaves. If the meat stays in clumps, break it apart with a wooden spoon until it is in small crumbles. Slowly bring to a boil, stirring often so the meat stays separated. Lower the temperature, cover, and simmer until the meat is brown and cooked.

6. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Assembling the Pastelitos

1. Place oil in a pan about 1-1 ½ inch deep and let get hot.

2. Place a tablespoon of ground meat onto the center of a pastelito disc.  Fold the upper half over to the lower half and seal by pinching with the fork.

3. Transfer the pastelitos onto the pan and fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side.  Remove and place on a napkin over a plate. 

4. Repeat until the desired amount of pastelitos have been cooked.

5. Enjoy!