Pastelitos de Masa con Carne
Pastelitos de Masa con Carne·(pas-teh-LEE-tos deh MAH-sah kohn KAR-neh)
Antojitos: Weeknight Hacks and Street Food Fixes
These aren't the baked empanadas you might find at an Argentine bakery, nor are they a simplified Hollywood approximation. These are true Salvadoran pastelitos—shatteringly crisp, golden-orange half-moons of corn masa, stuffed with a deeply savory hash of ground beef and finely diced vegetables. When you bite into one, accompanied by the acidic crunch of fermented curtido and a spoonful of warm, thin tomato salsa, you are tasting the exact flavor profile of a late afternoon in San Salvador. The grandma secret here is twofold: the dough must be aggressively seasoned with achiote and chicken bouillon, and the vegetables inside must be diced incredibly small. To make this work on a busy weeknight in Ohio, make the filling and the curtido on Sunday. By Tuesday, assembling and frying these will take you less than twenty minutes.
Before you start
Brown the beef for the filling.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Break apart the ground beef until browned and no pink remains.
Sauté the filling aromatics.
Add half a cup of finely diced white onion and two minced garlic cloves, cooking for two to three minutes until fragrant.
Steam the vegetables in the meat juices.
Add the diced potatoes, carrots, chayote, and green beans. Season with cumin, one teaspoon of chicken bouillon, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on medium-low for 15 minutes until the vegetables are perfectly tender.
Dry out the filling completely.
Remove the lid and cook for another two to three minutes until all moisture evaporates. Let it cool completely, then refrigerate until your weeknight dinner.
Start the curtido.
Blanch the shredded cabbage with a kettle of boiling water, drain well, and place in a large jar. Aggressively mix in the grated carrot, sliced red onion, and jalapeño.
Ferment the slaw.
Whisk the vinegar, half a cup of warm water, salt, and oregano together. Pour it over the cabbage mixture, toss well, and let sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
Make the salsa.
Boil the tomatoes, a quarter of the white onion, one garlic clove, and the bell pepper until soft. Blend completely smooth with the remaining bouillon and a pinch of oregano, then simmer in a saucepan for five minutes.
Ingredients
- masa harina2 cup
- warm water2 cup
- achiote powder2 tbsp
- chicken bouillon powder3 1/2 tsp
- baking powder1/2 tsp
- neutral oil2 1/4 cup
- ground beef1 lb
- white onion1 med
- garlic3 small clove
- russet potato1 med
- carrot2 large
- chayote squash1 med
- fresh green beans1/2 cup
- ground cumin1 tsp
- salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- green cabbage1/2 med
- red onion1/2 med
- jalapeño1 med
- white vinegar1/2 cup
- dried oregano1 tbsp
- roma tomatoes4 med
- green bell pepper1/2 med
Method
- 01
Hydrate the masa.
In a large bowl, whisk together the masa harina, achiote powder, one and a half teaspoons of the chicken bouillon, and baking powder.
- 02
Knead the dough.
Add a tablespoon of oil to the dry mix, then gradually pour in one and a half cups of warm water while kneading vigorously. Continue for three to four minutes until you have a smooth, pliable dough that feels like modeling clay. Cover with a damp towel.
- 03
Heat the frying oil.
Bring about two cups of neutral oil to 350°F in a deep, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or frying pan over medium-high heat.
- 04
Press the tortillas.
Pinch off a golf-ball-sized piece of masa (about two tablespoons). Using a tortilla press lined with a plastic bag, press the ball into a circle about four inches in diameter, keeping it slightly thicker than a standard taco tortilla.
- 05
Stuff and seal.
Place a spoonful of the cold filling directly in the center of the masa. Carefully fold it in half to create a half-moon shape, then use your fingers to tightly pinch and seal the edges so it doesn't explode in the fryer.
- 06
Fry to a golden-orange crisp.
Gently slide the pastelitos into the hot oil, working in small batches. Fry for about three to four minutes per side until deeply crisp and blistering, then transfer to a wire rack to drain.
- 07
Serve immediately.
Serve piping hot. Crack one open, stuff it with a healthy pinch of tangy fermented curtido, and drench it in the warm tomato salsa.
Notes
Do not substitute the achiote.
Using paprika alters both the canonical flavor and color spectrum; seek out real achiote at your local Latin market for the true Salvadoran hue.
Keep the filling dry.
A wet filling will cause the delicate masa to disintegrate from the inside out while frying. Ensure all moisture has evaporated before cooling.
Embrace the cold filling.
A completely chilled filling is significantly easier to seal inside the masa without puncturing the dough.
The magic of bouillon.
Salvadoran grandmothers rely heavily on chicken bouillon to season their masa; skipping it results in a tragically bland crust.