Pastelles
Ingredients
- 1 Lbs Ground Beef or Chicken
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 cup Scallions, chopped
- 1/4 cup Fresh Thyme, chopped
- 2 Pimento Peppers, chopped
- 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1 Tbsp Celery, chopped
- 1/2 Scotch Bonnet Pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 tsp Black Pepper, ground
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cup Tomato Sauce
- 4 Tbsp Capers, chopped
- 3 Tbsp Stuffed Olives, sliced
- 1/4 cup Raisins
Dough
- 2 cups Cornmeal, yellow, fine
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 1-1/4 tsp Salt
- 3 cups Warm Water
Notes
Combine beef with chicken. Add salt and black pepper. Add 1/4 cup chopped scallions and one tbsp thyme. In a large saute pan heat olive oil. Add onion and garlic. Saute until fragrant. Add pimento peppers, scallions, pepper and thyme. Add meat and cook until brown. Add tomato sauce, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add raisins, capers and olives and stir to combine. Cook for about five minutes more. Add two tbsp fresh thyme and stir to combine. Remove from heat and cool.
Mix cornmeal, salt, butter and water in a pan. Cook over medium heat until thickens and forms a dough. Rest dough for 30 minutes in refrigerator. Divide dough into 12 balls and drop in oil. Brush oil on banana leaf. Place dough ball on leaf and flatten. Enclose 2 tbsp of filling in dough. Wrap banana leaf around pastelle. Tie with string. Steam or boil for 45 minutes.