Pastelles

Ingredients

 * 2 cups ground corn flour ( this is NOT cornstarch )
 * 1 ounce margarine
 * 1 pot spoon oil
 * 2 teasps salt
 * 2 teasps Sugar
 * 4 cups boiling water
 * banana leaves ( you can use foil, but pastelles taste better wrapped in banana leaves)

Filling


 * 2 lbs lean meat- ground - ( this can be 1/2 Beef, 1/2 Pork - or only Beef, or Chicken)
 * 6 red and green chilli peppers - cut up very small- seasoning peppers, not hot
 * 1 clove garlic- grated
 * 2 tsps worcestershire sauce
 * 2 tablesps capers
 * 2 tablesps raisins- whole
 * 2 tablesps raisins- chopped
 * 3 onions- minced
 * 1 bunch herbs for pastelles ( Spanish thyme ( fine leaf thyme), French thyme
 * ( broad leaf thyme ), basil ( remove stems), - use one teasp. of each, cut up very small
 * 8 olives- cut into very small pieces
 * 6 olives, cut up and added to one cup of water to make stock
 * a little tomato ketchup

Directions

 * 1) Put ground corn into a mixing bow
 * 2) Cut margarine into small pieces and add to corn
 * 3) Add oil, salt, Sugar
 * 4) Pour BOILING water over mixture ( use 3.5 cups at first ), then mix quickly with a round edged knife. Mixture must be smooth, but not sticky
 * 5) Taste and add more Sugar or salt, if needed

Method


 * 1) Heat oil, add garlic- fry until golden brown- remove garlic
 * 2) Add meat and sauté until light brown
 * 3) Add ketchup and worcestershire sauce
 * 4) Turn heat low and simmer for about 5 mins
 * 5) Add pastelle herbs, chopped chilli peppers and continue simmering until meat is tender
 * 6) Add stock and continue to simmer until filling is tender and moist
 * 7) Taste to see if seasonings need to be added

Assembling the pastelles


 * 1) Prepare banana leaves - Wilt leaves in boiling water, take out and wipe dry- then cut up into sizes to wrap pastelles in
 * 2) Rub leaves with oil ( you can colour the oil with roo-coo (Anatto )by putting the seeds into a piece of muslin, tied together, then soaked in hot oil ( not boiling oil otherwise the oil will turn black)- This is optional.
 * 3) Place a small ball of corn mixture on the oiled leaf, pat down
 * 4) Place a piece of muslin over the patted down mixture and roll out thinly, using either a rolling pin or pastelle press
 * 5) Place a tablesp of meat filling in the centre, ad a little cut Raisins, olives and capers
 * 6) Fold half of leaf over ( lengthways ) in such a manner that the corn mixture also folds completely over the meat filling, then bring other half of the leaf over to cover . Use a second leaf on opposite grain, tightly fold in sides and tie up with a piece of twine. At this stage, you can also use a piece of foil instead of the second leaf.
 * 7) Steam pastelles covered in a colander or similar container over boiling water for 1 1/2 hours.
 * 8) To reheat, steam pastelles just before serving.