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Trinidad Pastelle is a savory cornmeal pie filled with meat, fish or vegetables. For an alternative vegetarian version, you can use soya. Trini Pastelle is wrapped and steamed in a banana leaf. It is traditionally eaten during the Christmas season.
Trinidad Pastelle is known to have been introduced by the Spanish colonists who ruled Trinidad and Tobago between the late 15th and early 18th centuries. Trini Pastelle is closely related to Tamales, but the main difference is Tamales are made with corn masa only. The sweet version of Trinidad Pastelle is called Trinidad Paime.
This Trinidad pastel recipe requires some special ingredients and tools which we have listed here:
- Fresh banana leaves Or use a Banana Leaf alternative.
- A Pastel Press or Tortilla Press
- Mixer
- Aluminum foil
Prep Time
60 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
85 mins
Serves
40
Ingredients
Cornmeal Skins
- 1 Kg Corn Flour
- 1100 grams Boiling Water
- 454 grams Margarine
- 12 grams Salt
- 10 grams Brown Sugar
- 12 grams Mixed green, yellow and red Pimentos finely chopped
- 12 grams Maggi Tastemaker
Filling
- 2 kg Minced Chicken (or beef or soya for vegetarian)
- 127 grams Finely Chopped Onions
- 53 grams Finely Chopped Chives
- 5 grams Fresh Thyme
- 18 grams Minced Garlic
- 3 grams ground Black Pepper
- 29 grams Salt
- 80 grams Brown Sugar
- 4 grams Hot Peppers finely chopped (optional)
- 53 grams Culantro chopped
- 128 grams Ketchup
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 110 grams Finely Chopped Pimentos
- 50 grams Capers
- 50 grams Chopped Olives
- 185 grams Raisins
- 75 grams Vegetable Oil
- 3 Fresh Banana leaves or Banana Leaf alternative
Instructions
Filling
Add the meat to a bowl and season with chive, onions, thyme, culantro, garlic, hot pepper, black pepper, and salt
Brown the sugar and oil in a pot, add seasoned meat. Add ketchup, Worcestershire Sauce, pimentos, cook and stir using a wooden spoon until tender and soft.
When meat is tender, remove from heat. Mix in capers as well as chopped olives and raisins and set aside.
Cornmeal Dough
In a mixer, melt butter in hot water. Fitted with a paddle, add cornmeal, sugar, pimentos, Maggi, and salt. Run-on slow speed for 2 minutes. You may need to add more hot water to keep the dough soft.
Make round balls 60 grams each and cover with plastic or a damp cloth (if necessary, slightly spritz with water to keep moist)
Cooking & Folding Pastelles
Cut the aluminum foil into 10" x 10" squares. Grease the foil very well with butter so that the dough does not stick to the foil.
In a pastelle press, place the dough on the leaf on top of the foil and flatten it.
Place one piece of the foil on the table and then place 2 pieces of the banana leaf alternative (or 1 big banana leaf) on top of this foil. The 2 leaves should be side by side. Then place the flattened dough in the center of the 2 leaves. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the middle of the dough. Now fold over the foil onto itself. Keep folding over the edges as shown in this video: How to press and fold a Trinidad Pastelle
Steam for 25 minutes. Then serve and enjoy.
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