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1
Prepare the Banana Leaves
15 Mins
No heat — pass over a low flame
Rinse the banana leaves and wipe them dry. Cut them into 12 rectangles about 25 x 30 cm and strip out the thick centre rib from each. Pass each piece briefly over a low gas flame, or dip it in a pot of boiling water for 10 seconds, until the leaf turns glossy dark green and bends easily without splitting. Cut 12 smaller squares of leaf or foil to cover the parcels, and cut kitchen twine into 12 lengths.
Work over a low flame and keep the leaf moving — a few seconds is enough, and a scorched leaf will tear when you fold it.
Done when: Leaves are glossy, dark green and fold without cracking.
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2
Cook the Beef Filling
25 Mins
Medium heat, ~175°C (350°F)
Heat the oil in a wide pan and fry the onion for 3 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, chadon beni, scallions and thyme and cook for 1 minute. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, for about 10 minutes until it is browned all through and no pink remains — ground beef must reach 71°C (160°F). Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, paprika, cumin, pepper and 4 g of the salt, then the chopped olives, raisins and capers. Cook for 5 minutes more until the filling is moist but not wet, then take it off the heat and cool for 10 minutes.
Cook the filling until it is almost dry — a wet filling leaks through the cornmeal dough and makes the pastelle fall apart when you boil it.
Done when: Browned, crumbly beef, moist but not wet, with olives, raisins and capers visible through it.
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3
Make the Cornmeal Dough
10 Mins
Warm water, ~60°C (140°F)
Put the fine yellow cornmeal in a large bowl with the softened butter, sugar and the remaining 2 g of salt. Pour in the warm water a little at a time, mixing with your hands, until a soft, smooth dough forms — about 500 ml in total. Knead for 2 minutes until it holds together, then divide it into 12 equal balls and cover them with a damp cloth so they do not dry out.
Add the water slowly: too much and the dough turns to porridge, too little and it cracks when you press it flat. It should feel like soft playdough.
Done when: A smooth, pliable dough that flattens without cracking at the edges.
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4
Fill & Wrap the Pastelles
20 Mins
No heat
Oil your hands lightly. Lay a banana-leaf rectangle shiny side up, put one ball of dough in the centre, cover it with a small square of leaf or cling film, and press it flat into a rectangle about 15 x 10 cm and 5 mm thick. Spoon about 2 heaped tablespoons of the cooled beef filling down the centre of the dough. Fold the leaf over so the dough folds over the filling, then fold the two ends in and roll the parcel into a neat rectangle. Place a small leaf square over the seam, fold the leaf ends under, and tie the parcel firmly with twine. Repeat for all 12.
Press the dough thinner at the edges than in the middle — the edges seal better, and the pastelle cooks evenly.
Done when: Neat, firm rectangular parcels, tied snugly, with no filling poking out.
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5
Boil the Pastelles
30 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Lower the pastelles in gently, a few at a time, and boil for 25 to 30 minutes until the cornmeal dough is firm and set. Lift them out with tongs and let them drain for 2 minutes.
Do not crowd the pot — the parcels need room so the water stays at a boil and they cook evenly. If the water drops below a boil, add 5 minutes.
Done when: The parcels feel firm when squeezed gently, and the dough holds its shape when unwrapped.
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6
Rest & Serve at the Table
10 Mins
No heat
Set the pastelles on a platter and rest them for 10 minutes so the dough firms up and the filling settles. Put two pastelles on each plate, still wrapped, and let each person untie and unwrap their own at the table, so the banana-leaf steam escapes in front of them. Serve with Christmas ham, sorrel drink and a green salad.
Unwrap over the plate — a little seasoned juice escapes with the leaf, and it is the best part.
Done when: Warm, firm parcels that unwrap cleanly from the leaf.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Rest the boiled pastelles for 10 minutes, then serve two per person still wrapped in their banana leaves, with Christmas ham, sorrel and a green salad — each person unties their own at the table.
Trinidad and Tobago
1h 35m
