Name: Pastéis
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 24

Pastéis

There are many variations of empanadas across Latin America; in Brazil they’re called pastéis (pastel in the singular), and in Puerto Rico they’re called pasteles.

Serves 24

Prep

30M

Cook

45M

Total

1H 15M

There are many variations of empanadas across Latin America; in Brazil they’re called pastéis (pastel in the singular), and in Puerto Rico they’re called pasteles. The dough is made with lard or suet, filled and baked or deep-fried. The version here is made with minced beef, green olives and parsley, and served with a spicy herb sauce that’s common in Brazil. The Brazilian and Cuban versions are sealed with a forked edge instead of the pleated rope edge (called repulgue) you find particularly with Argentinian-style empanadas.

Ingredients

2 tbsp melted lard or suet

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp coarsely ground cumin seeds

1 tsp ground chilli

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of dried oregano

400 gm coarsely minced beef

8 pitted large green olives, diced

¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Pastel dough

300 gm plain flour (2 cups)

2 tsp caster sugar

50 gm melted lard (1/4 cup)

150 ml dry white wine

Salsa verde

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 cup (firmly packed) chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 cup (firmly packed) chopped coriander

Juice of 2 limes

60 ml olive oil (¼ cup)

2 small green chillies (or to taste), seeds removed, finely chopped

Method

Main

1.For pastel dough, mix flour, sugar and 1 tsp salt in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook to just combine, then add lard and mix to combine. Add wine and knead until a smooth dough forms. Turn out onto a bench and knead lightly until smooth, then wrap in plastic wrap and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

2.Meanwhile, heat half the lard or suet in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add onion and fry, stirring occasionally, until just starting to caramelise (5-7 minutes). Add garlic, spices and oregano and stir until fragrant (1½-2½ minutes), then set mixture aside. Add remaining lard to pan over high heat, add beef and fry, breaking it up with a spoon, until starting to colour (8-10 minutes). Add olives and parsley and return onion mixture to pan, stir to combine and season to taste. Cool mixture, then refrigerate to chill.

3.For salsa verde, dry-roast cumin seeds until fragrant (30-40 seconds; see cook’s notes p185). Transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush, then combine in a bowl with remaining ingredients. Season to taste and set aside.

4.Roll walnut-sized pieces of dough to 10cm-diameter rounds. Top with a heaped teaspoonful of beef filling, fold dough over to form a half-moon and press edges firmly to seal and flatten, then, using a fork dipped in flour, crimp edges firmly. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and set aside, or refrigerate covered with plastic wrap until ready to cook. pastéis can be made 2-3 hours ahead of cooking.

5.Heat oil to 180C. Deep-fry pastéis in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown (about 5 minutes; be careful, hot oil will spit). Drain on paper towels, season with salt and serve with salsa verde.