May 07 2008
Cuban Pastelitos de Carne – Cuban Meat Pastries – recipe
Yesterday I told you about how I was so afraid to make croquetas and pastelitos de carne (meat pastries). Here is the promised post/recipe for pastelitos.
I found the recipe here, and found it really easy to make – really really easy. The first day the spices were very intense, but the second day they had dulled down and were exactly what I remember. I can’t wait to make it again, but my pocket book needs to recover! These babies take roast beef!
Ingredients:
4 sheets of refrigerated Puff Pastry
1 Recipe Egg Wash (see bellow)
1 Recipe Simple Syrup (see bellow)
1 pound Roast Beef (cooked), chopped
1/2 Cup Beef Broth
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
1 teaspoon ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Oregano
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Allspice
1 Tablespoon Fructose (or sugar)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Cornstarch + 2 Tablespoons Water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 177°C (350°F).
Make the Egg wash (see bellow).
Start the simple syrup (see bellow).
Place the chopped roast beef in a food processor and process until the meat is a tiny crumb size.
In a large cast iron pan combine the meat and the broth. Add tomato paste, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, fructose, and salt.. Cook on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Thicken the mixture by adding the cornstarch mixed with water and cooking for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Unroll the puff pastry one sheet at a time. With a large round cookie cutter, the top of a cocktail shaker, or a wide glass, make about 12 rounds (repeat this for the other 3 sheets of puff pastry).
Take one round and rub water on it with your finger. Place 1 tablespoon of meat filling in the middle of the pastry dough and cover with another round of dough. Press down with your fingers and place on a lined baking sheet. Repeat this until all pastries are done. Rub egg wash over each pastry.
Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and brush on the simple syrup. Place back in oven for 6 minutes. Remove and let cool before handling.
Makes about 48 pastries.
Egg Wash
Ingredients:
3 Eggs
2 ounces of Water
Directions:
beat together and set aside.
Simple Syrup
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Fructose (or sugar)
1/2 Cup Water
Directions:
Mix the water and fructose in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil, and bring the temperature to low and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool.
These look wonderful…
I’m enjoying your little Cuban food tour…these look wonderful!
these look so, so good. i will eat anything you wrap in puff pastry, and all the better if it’s something i like!
being in Miami, i can attest that these look like the authentic pastelitos de carne… good job!… but i prefer the guava y queso (guava and cheese) pastelito better though..
Those look wonderful. I love anything with puff pastry
These came out great!
I doubted the spices on the filling, but I made it as it’s written and it came out perfect.. somehow I always thought I should use ground beef, but the texture with the roast beef was spot-on!
I will definitely make these again! I lived in Miami for 8 years, and I crave them often. Oh, and all my Cuban friends agreed (though one DID say that the really authentic ones are supposed to have mystery meat, not $10.00 a pound roast beef)
ooooh, I couldn’t stop eating these when we went to Miami to visit hubby’s family
I will have to try it 