Recipe(tried): Pasteles de Yuca for Carolina!

This very old recipe is typical of the pasteles de yuca that we cook in Puerto Rico. Saludos!

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.

Also, I want to mention that sometimes I use two envelopes of Saz n con Culantro y Achiote Goya instead of the annato oil. I just add 1/2 cup of olive oil to the Goya seasoning and heat it for about 1 minute in a skillet. Then, I continue the recipe as if I was using the original annato oil (aceite con Achiote). For Goya products, you can buy at Goya.com, or at Latin markets.

Here is the process I use for the pasteles:

Clean and cut the banana leaves into approximately 12 inches rectangles. On a table, assemble the pasteles. Place the banana leaves rectangle on top of the table. Put 1 or 2 tb annato oil in the middle of the rectangle. On top of the oil, place about 4 tb banana mix, well spread, forming a smaller rectangle(5x8). Put 2 tb of the cooked meat mixture on top of the banana mix, spreading it down the center lengthwise. Fold in half widthwise. Fold in half once again. Fold in the end, taking care that by folding you do not apply too much pressure and the mix oozes out. Tie the pastel like a gift, so that both extremities are tied. Remember, not too much pressure. By this stage, you can stop and freeze as many as you want.

Cook the pasteles in a big pot, in enough salted water to cover. Cook at moderate high, and when the water boils, lower to moderate and cover. Cook for another 45 minutes. If they are frozen, you will have to cook them for more or less of 1 hour. Once cooked, remove promptly from the water. Remove the leaves and serve.

VARIATION:
My mother used to prepare this Pasteles de Yuca and she used big steamed cabbage leaves to cover them. She formed an envelope with the cabbage leaf, then she placed the Pasteles with the opening, face down, one near the other in a greased baking dish. She covered the pasteles with a Tomato Sauce (Please, refer to Gina's contribution for the ROPA VIEJA on January 18, 2000, where she gives a wonderful recipe for TOMATO SAUCE FOR ROPA VIEJA.), covered them with aluminum foil and baked them in a 350 F oven, for at least 1 1/2 hours.

Buen Provecho!