Pastelitos de Carne (Salvadoran Fried Meat Turnovers)
Local name: Pastelitos de carne
In short: Crisp half-moon turnovers filled with spiced ground beef, potato and carrot, fried until golden and served with curtido. It takes about 1 h 40 min in total and makes 8 servings.
- Prep
- 1 h
- Cook
- 40 min
- Resting
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 40 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 455 kcal
Pastelitos de carne are the Salvadoran fried turnover: a bubbly, crisp dough folded around a savory filling of ground beef, potato, carrot and peas. Bakeries and street stands sell them hot, and they are eaten with a spoonful of curtido and a little tomato sauce. They suit parties well, since they can be filled and frozen ahead. The dough is simple, and rolling it thin is the key to a crisp shell.
Instructions
- Mix the flour and salt, then rub in the butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the vinegar and enough cold water to make a smooth dough. Knead for 2 minutes, wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
- Heat the tablespoon of oil in a large skillet and cook the onion and bell pepper for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and beef and cook, breaking up the meat, for about 6 minutes, until browned and cooked through (71°C / 160°F).
- Add the potato, carrot, tomato paste, cumin, salt and water. Cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the potato is tender, then stir in the peas and cook for 2 minutes. Let the filling cool completely.
- Roll the dough out to about 2 mm thick on a floured surface. Cut 16 circles about 12 cm (5 in) wide with a bowl or cutter, re-rolling the scraps.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling onto each circle. Moisten the edge with water, fold into a half moon and press the edges with a fork to seal.
- Heat 5 cm (2 in) of oil to 180°C (350°F). Fry 4 pastelitos at a time for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden and blistered. Drain on paper towels.
- Serve hot with curtido and hot sauce.
Tips
- Cool the filling completely before filling the dough. Warm filling softens the dough and makes the pastelitos tear.
- For a baked version, brush with oil and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 25 minutes. They will be less blistered.
Questions and answers
Can I freeze pastelitos de carne?
Yes. Freeze filled, unfried turnovers on a tray, then bag them for up to 3 months. Fry from frozen at 170°C (340°F) for 5 to 6 minutes.
Can I make pastelitos with corn masa?
Some cooks use a corn masa dough instead of wheat dough. It gives a sturdier, more rustic shell and makes them gluten-free.
What do you serve with pastelitos?
Curtido, a thin tomato salsa and hot sauce are the usual partners. They also go well with a simple soup.
How long does it take to make Pastelitos de Carne (Salvadoran Fried Meat Turnovers)?
About 1 h 40 min in total: 1 h of preparation and 40 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Pastelitos de Carne (Salvadoran Fried Meat Turnovers)?
About 455 kcal per serving, with 14 g of protein, 50 g of carbohydrates and 22 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 455 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 14 g |
| Carbohydrates | 50 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Sodium | 600 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
