Pastelillos (Pah-ste-lee-joes)

When I was growing up, I loved when my Titi (aunt) Conchie and my Abuelo (grandfather) would whip up a batch of these savory Puerto Rican meat pastries.  They are also called Empanadas.  I've seen several iterations on these, depending on where they originated.  I am just sharing the method I personally enjoy using and consuming *nom nom*

Anyways, a few years back I got it in my head to make them at home since I hadn't really had any homemade ones since my grandfather had passed away way over a decade ago. 


The idea of making the dough, though was daunting.  That is when a friend on Facebook, (Luis, this is your shout-out, Bud), told me about the dough available premade and I shouldn't let my fear of the dough stop me.  See, pie crusts do not like me...and I think pastelillo dough is a close cousin hence my well-founded trepidation.

Welp, I looked for and located the shells.  They come already rolled and cut out into the little circles and everything!  Oh blessed joy-soaked blissful happiness!  It is beyond me how I had somehow managed to miss these glorious "discos" (no, not Disco as in the 70's trend that haunts us to this day).  I may have overlooked them in the past, though, because of my stubborn refusal to accept cooking shortcuts.  I think I see them all as challenges. 

"Oh you aren't COOK enough to cut your OWN huh?" the bag of sliced carrots mocks.
Well, I'm not that bad...usually.

Regardless, this is one time I can honestly say I am glad I embraced this shortcut with no self-recriminations.

So, without further ado about nothing, here are the steps so you can make your own wondrous, awe-inspiring, highly addictive treats:

Gather ingredients.

Yes, I forgot to put the garlic in the photo *blushes*  

Those red cubes by the Recaito are cubes of Sofrito. See, the stuff seems to spoil pretty fast, so I put what I am not immediately using into ice cube trays and use it that way. Pretty spiff, huh? Mom taught me that =)  Isn't she a peach?  Well, she is.  Trust me on that.  Wow this is a long caption, isn't it?  Not really a caption anymore, is it.  More like a paragraph?

INGREDIENTS

1 packet of pastry dough, known as "discos" or, as I call them FPDGs (fabulous, premade doughy goodness...still working on that acronym.)

1 lb ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey or pork)

1 large onion, chopped, sliced and diced into appropriately sized morsels

1/4 cup of chopped olives . . .or more, depending on your to taste *dumps in the whole jar* 

1 - 1/2 TB chopped garlic *cough* or more

3/4..ish can of tomato sauce (that is a very precise measurement, FYI)

Here are the Spanish-y ingredients.  Most supermarkets carry this stuff.  Check out this link if you want to see images of what you should be looking for on the  shelves.

1 packet of Sazon, any variety

1 or 2 TBS Recaito, adjust to taste

1or 2 TB Sofrito adjust to taste

Pepper to taste

Cheese (optional, but oh-so-yum... so why leave it out!?!?)

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Now for the good stuff.  Cooking!  It is actually pretty straightforward stuff.

1. Brown the meat on medium high or however you prefer to brown meat.

2. Drain it.  We have to be healthy after all *laughs*

3. Return meat to skillet and cook with onions, garlic and olives until your taste buds are thrilled by the marvelous scent filling your nose and kitchen.

4.  Add in the spanish-y stuff: recaito, sofrito, sazon.  While you're at it, sprinkle in pepper, to taste of course.

5. Lastly, dump in that tomato sauce and let it bubble away at a simmer.


The filling should look something like the skillet of joy pictured here.

mmm feel free to taste test...Well not this photo.  People will think you're strange if you lick your screen.  

Now time to check the discos!

..not that kind of disco, smartypants

They should be pliable because you did remember to take them out even before you started this project, right?  See, I have forgotten to do that on a few occasions and have tried several methods of speed thawing.  My advice?  DON'T. 

Let them thaw naturally, calmly in a zen-like atmosphere. Maybe play it some nice relaxing jazz as it thaws.  You need that dough flexible!

ohm ohm... breathe in the good thoughts, breathe out the bad ohm...

Take one out and put it on your sparkling clean counter (actual counter sparkles optional).  You could roll it out a little, but I don't bother. 

Put a spoonful or two (depending on the size of your spoon) of the filling offset from the middle.  Sprinkle in the cheese, if you want to add any...which you should because cheese makes everything better unless of course you are lactose intolerant then by all means omit it.

Where was I?  hm...

Oh yes.  Next you will fold the disco in half and hope all the screaming dancers in their 70's hairdos and psychedelic gear aren't going to ooze viscera all over your sparkling countertop...Not that kind of disco I said!!! -.-

 Finally seal the deal with the tines of a fork.  It helps if Latin music is playing loudly in the background at this point.  Makes the tine-ing that much more fun.

And TADA!  All done.

Don't I look delicious even though my soft outer layer is still raw?

Now,  if you, like me, whip up say... thirty of these at a time, you may want to freeze a few.  That or really risk running your cholesterol through the roof, not to mention expand your waist quite a bit.  If you were sane and only made ten (which you will of course share with nine other people and enjoy with a nice dinner salad or something healthyish), then you would pan fry these suckers until the dough was fried and bubbly on the outside. 

I do not have photo handy of them once they are cooked because...well... *wipes the corner of  her mouth with her sleeve*  They're camera shy once cooked, something about how they feel their spirits would be stolen if they were caught on film...digital...film *walks away whistling*

Hope you try these out.  Here is a link to a blog entry of this blathering *without* all my unneccessary-but-fun-for-me-to-write-anyways bantery comments.  The recipe should then be more suitable for printing, or framing if you feel that inspired.