Season 12 - Lunch / S12L06
Pastelillos de Carne with Salsa Criolla
Story
Don Luis was humming a classic salsa tune one Sunday morning, his apron dusted in flour and the aroma of sofrito filling the air. “When I was your age,” he chuckled to his curious grandson, “we’d run to the corner bakery the moment the pastelillos hit the fryer.” That crispy golden pocket with steamy ground beef inside? That was *gold*. 💰✨ But today, Don Luis adds his special twist—a Salsa Criolla with red onions, sweet peppers, vinegar, and garlic that adds a zing to every bite! 🔥 Watching the layers of family tradition fold into every pastelillo, the kitchen becomes a playground of laughter and sizzle, bridging generations one turnover at a time. 🫶🏽👨👩👦 Time & Nutrition
Ingredients
- For the Pastelillos
- 1 lb ground beef 🥩
- 1 tbsp olive oil 🫒
- 2 tbsp sofrito 🌿
- 1 tsp adobo seasoning 🧂
- 0.5 tsp sazón with annatto ✨
- 0.25 cup tomato sauce 🍅
- 0.25 cup diced green olives (optional) 🫒
- 1 packet of 8 empanada discs (store-bought or homemade) 🥟
- Oil for frying 🛢️
- For the Salsa Criolla 🌶️
- 0.5 red onion, thinly sliced 🧅
- 0.5 green bell pepper, thinly sliced 🫑
- 0.5 red bell pepper, thinly sliced ❤️
- 2 cloves garlic, minced 🧄
- 2 tbsp olive oil 🫒
- 1 tbsp vinegar (white or apple cider) 🍎
- Salt and pepper to taste 🧂
Instructions
- 1Cook the beef: Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add sofrito and sauté for 1 minute. Add ground beef, adobo, and sazón. Brown until fully cooked.
- 2Simmer the filling: Stir in tomato sauce and olives. Simmer for 5–7 minutes until thickened. Let cool slightly.
- 3Fill the discs: Place 2 tbsp of meat mixture in the center of each empanada disc. Fold and press edges with a fork to seal.
- 4Fry the pastelillos: Heat oil (350°F/175°C) and fry pastelillos 2–3 at a time until golden brown, ~3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
- 5Make the salsa criolla: In a separate pan, heat olive oil. Add onions, peppers, and garlic. Cook until soft but still vibrant (~5 mins). Add vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss and remove from heat.
- 6Serve: Plate pastelillos hot with a generous spoon of salsa criolla on top or on the side!
About the narrator
Don Luis · A character for three generations
Don Luis is the brand character and narrator for this catalog: a warm voice for Puerto Rican family recipes tested by the real creator behind the brand. The project carries three generations of flavor and writes each recipe step by step so any kid can follow it.
Read our mission →