Puerto Rican Pasteles

Carlos’ sister Karen and her 2 kids, Ana and Sebastian are here from Florida visiting us for 5 weeks. (If Sebastian is looking Chinese, that because he was adopted from there but that's another story as I went with them in 2007, my second trip to China.)

Leaving Ft Lauderdale at 5:00 AM

As Carlos is in town this week through Sunday we decided we could make pasteles. Pasteles are wrapped green banana stuffed meat pastries, traditionally served at Christmas time in Puerto Rico.

I think that it’s the Puerto Rican version of a tamale. It will take us two days to make them. It’s traditional that a family group gets together to make these during the holidays. Since we hope to be in Merida for the month of December we will make them now.

They will go into the freezer and Carlos can have his comfort food whenever he wants to cook them. I do not eat them. I don’t like the texture of the pasteles just like I don’t like the texture of tamales.

So we have been running around finding all of the items we need. First I went to Sam’s and bought a whole pork loin. (15.00) Karen and Carlos went to Global Foods and bought, yucca (cassava), yautia (taro), plantains, green banana, calabasa (pumpkin squash), potatoes, garbanzo beans, green pepper, onion, achiote, green olives and capers. (50.00) We also bought, parchment paper, banana leaves, plastic freezer bags, sazon and adobo seasoning. (20.00) Hay Caramba!