Calrio Cuban Pie Recipes

CUBANO PIES AS MADE BY VIVIAN HERNANDEZ-JACKSON RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the Cuban-style pork: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
• In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, oregano, salt, and Sazón.
• Place the pork shoulder in a 9 x 13-inch (22 x 33 c,m) ( baking dish. Sprinkle the spice mixture all over, then pour the mojo marinade and water on top.
• Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. Transfer the pork to the oven and bake for 10 hours, until extremely tender and the liquid has reduced.
• Drain the liquid from the pan into a bowl and set aside. Using 2 forks, shred the pork, discarding any fatty bits. Pour the reserved braising liquid over the pork and toss until well combined. You should have about 4 cups. The pork will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use, up to 4 days.
• Make the cubano pies: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Lay 1 sheet of puff pastry on a clean surface and use a knife or pizza cutter to mark 9 squares.
• Scoop 3 heaping tablespoons of Cuban-style pork onto each square (save the leftover pork for another use). Top each portion with 2 pickle slices, a drizzle of yellow mustard, and a half slice of Swiss cheese.
• Gently lay the remaining sheet of puff pastry over the pork mounds. Use your fingers to press the dough together around the edges, then between the squares. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut through to make 9 individual squares.
• Transfer the pies to the prepared baking sheets. Brush the tops with the beaten egg.
• Bake for 25-35 minutes, until deep golden brown and firm.
• Meanwhile, combine the water, sugar, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 3 minutes, until the sugar is fully dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat.
• Remove the Cubano pies from the oven and immediately brush with the cinnamon syrup. Serve warm.
• Enjoy!

PUERTO RICAN SHEPHERD PIE (PASTELON)

Steps:

• To make sofrito: Place the onion, bell pepper, parsley, cilantro, culantro, garlic, and water into a blender. Cover, and puree until smooth. Pour mixture into a bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the ground beef. Cook and stir until the beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Stir in 2 tablespoons of sofrito into the beef, then season with sazon, pepper, and adobo. Drain and discard any excess grease; set aside.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat a skillet over medium heat. Arrange the plantains in the skillet and pan fry until golden and softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Layer half of the plantains in a deep baking dish, making sure to cover the entire bottom of the dish. Pour 4 beaten eggs over the plantains, then spread the beef on top. Layer the green beans over the beef, then arrange the remaining plantains on top. Pour 4 more beaten eggs evenly over the plantains. Sprinkle the top with adobo seasoning.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the eggs are firm, 30 to 45 minutes.

CUBAN EMPANADAS, CUBAN MEAT PIES, EMPANDAS CUBANAS

Steps:

• 1. The above dough recipe makes 10 empanadas. You may want to double the recipe to make 20 empanadas. To make the dough: In a large bowl sift the flour and salt. Combine the butter and lard into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal or bread crumbs. Sprinkle with three tablespoons of the ice water, mix and form into a ball. If necessary add the remaining water to hold the dough together to make it soft not sticky. Turn the dough out onto a floured flat surface and knead with the heal of the hand for 30 seconds to distribute the fat evenly. Form a ball dust with flour and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one hour before using. This dough will keep for refrigerated for up to three days or it can be frozen. While the dough is in the frig make your filling.
• 2. Filling: In a large skillet heat olive oil. Saute onions, green peppers, fresh garlic, until just wilted add the ground meats and cook over medium heat until the meat looses it's red color. With a large wooden spoon break up the meat as much as possible and continue to saute everything, Next add the diced olives, raisins, tiny diced potatoes, the wine, tomato sauce, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, steak sauce, and ketchup. Stir everything real real good. Now add the dry seasonings, garlic powder, oregano, cumin powder, the packet of Goya Sazon seasoning, black pepper, salt, stir well making sure to incorporate all the seasonings. Taste to see if it has enough salt. Now cover mixture and lower the flame, cook for about a half hour. Do not add water. Every 10 minutes uncover, quickly stir and cover again. Make sure your flame is on low you do not want to scorch your meat filling. After 30 minutes uncover and check with a fork to see if the potatoes are tender. "Remember the potatoes should be diced in tiny little cubes for this dish". When all is cooked take a large mesh strainer and pour mixture into the strainer over a large container. let the mixture strain real good. With a fork run through the mixture so all of the oil and greases that the meat rendered out gets strained out. Do not try to push on the mixture or you will mush up the little potatoes. After straining out the grease and any sauce keep in the strainer over a bowl while making the empanadas. Let the mixture cool it can be warm, before making the empanadas.
• 3. Now remove the dough from the frig and make 10 round little balls. Make sure they are all about the same size. Make the egg wash mix one egg with a little milk. On a lightly floured surface; roll out a little dough ball into an 8-inch circle. Carefully brush the outside edge of the dough with the egg wash and place about 2 tablespoons of filling on one side. Fold the uncovered side over the filling, pressing out as much air as possible, then press the two edges firmly together. To completely seal the empanada press the edges together with the tines of a fork. Do all ten balls of dough like this. When all of the empanadas are made. You have two ways of cooking them.
• 4. You can fry each empanada in hot oil one at a time and drain on paper towels or you can bake in the oven as I have done with mine. I love my empanadas fried but because we are trying to cut down on the calories. I have opted to bake mine this time. I place my empanadas on a large parchment paper-lined pan and bake about 16 minutes on 350 degrees. If you are going to bake I brush with an egg yolk that has been beaten with a teaspoon of water. I brush each one and proceed to bake. Enjoy.