Old-Style Holiday Pastelles

[JOH]

Tamales are traditionally served during the Christmas holidays all over the New World, and T&T is no exception. These pastelles (filled pastries), with their banana leaf wrap, are clearly more influenced by the Central American style than by the Mexican. This version features the old way of using the corn, rather than making a dough from cornmeal.

Makes: 12 pastelles

Ingredients:

* 1 pound beef steak, minced or ground
* 1 pound lean pork, minced or ground
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 1 small onion, minced
* 1 small bunch green onions, minced including the tops
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 3 medium tomatoes, diced
* 1 tablespoon vinegar
* 1 cup raisins, minced (optional)
* 2 tablespoons capers (optional)
* 10 green olives, minced (optional)
* Salt and black pepper to taste
* vegetable oil
* 12 7-inch square pieces of banana leaf for wrapping
* 3 cups grated fresh corn, excess juice squeezed out
* cotton string for tying

Method:
Brown the meat in the oil, then add the onion, green onions, garlic, tomatoes, vinegar, the optional ingredients (if desired), and the salt and pepper and cook down over medium heat for 15 minutes. The mixture should be fairly dry.
Using the vegetable oil, coat the inside of the banana leaves. Divide out the corn among the leaves and spread it about 5 inches square and � inch thick on each leaf. Divide out the meat mixture and spread it out over the corn (about two tablespoons per leaf). Fold up the leaves into envelope-like packages and secure them with the string.
Either boil the pastelles or steam them for an hour.