Recipe: Pasteles de Yuca

PASTELES DE YUCA
(Cassava Pasteles)

3 packages frozen ground cassava (available at Latin Markets)
2 1/2 lbs. pork meat, cut in chunks, not larger than 1/2 inch cubes,
1/2 lb diced cured ham
1 cup Sofrito
15 chopped stuffed green olives
1/4 cup small capers, drained
1/4 cup raisins
1 cup tomato sauce
Olive oil
1 cup achiote oil
salt and pepper to taste

Drain carefully the ground cassava, taking out as much water as possible. Add to the cassava the salt, pepper, annato oil and and more or less 1 cup of the sauce from the stewed meat. The meat should be stewed with the cured ham, sofrito, chopped olives, capers, raisins, tomato sauce, some olive oil, some annato oil for additional color, salt and pepper to taste and some wine for cooking. The resulting sauce will be used as flavoring to add to the ground cassava. For the assembling and cooking process, use a similar process as with the Pasteles de Pl tano or the Pasteles de Arroz.