How to make meat patties

     

      In Venezuela a dough made of wheat flour filled with cheese, meat or chicken is known as pastelitos. In general, Venezuelan pastries are deep-fried, although some prefer them baked. However, it is in the Andean area of the country where this preparation acquires an ingrained and cultural character. It is for this reason that they are called Andean pastries. In these mountainous areas, women prepare this dish on a stove, which gives it a delicious smoky flavor.

     By sharing with you the traditional preparation of this dish, from RecetasGratis we invite you to an incredible gastronomic walk through the friendly Venezuelan Andes. Keep reading and discover with us how to make Andean meat and rice cakes.

Ingredients:

For the filling:

 250 grams of ground beef

  5 cloves of garlic

  2 stalks chives

  1 large onion

  1 paprika (red pepper)

  75 grams of sweet pepper

  4 branches of coriander

  1 tablespoon of onoto or achiote powder

  Enough oil for frying

  ½ cup of water (120 milliliters)

  1 dessert spoon of salt

  3 eggs boiled and sliced

  1 cup of cooked white rice

For the mass:

  500 grams of wheat flour

  265 milliliters of water

  3 grams of salt

  4 grams of baking powder (Royal type yeast)

  25 milliliters of oil

Steps to follow to make this recipe:

1

     To make the meat taste better during cooking, grate or crush the garlic cloves beforehand and add them to the meat along with the salt. Mix very well and let the meat marinate. Besides, prepare a simple white rice and boil the eggs. Reservation.

Tip: The amount of salt is to taste, so you can adjust it.

2

     Gather all the vegetables and chop them into small pieces, but not so tiny that, at the end of cooking, the ingredients can still be appreciated.

3

     Sauté the meat with enough oil. Let it brown and the garlic flavor to integrate. Thus, your Andean cakes will be much tastier.

Tip: You can also make your Venezuelan chicken cakes. To do this, at the end we explain how to do it.

4

     When cooked, add all the vegetables and the powdered onoto. Stir well until all the vegetables are cooked and the onoto colors the preparation.

5

     Add about a cup of water and cover the casserole to finish cooking the filling of the Venezuelan Andean pastries over medium heat.

6

     When the water almost completely evaporates, correct the salt of the preparation and add the previously cooked rice. Reserve the stew for the time of filling.

7

     For the Andean pastry dough, place the flour with all the dry ingredients in a large container. Add the water and oil or margarine. Mix very well with a spatula for approximately 3 minutes. Let stand another 3 minutes.

8

     Transfer the mixture to the table and knead for about 4 minutes to combine all the ingredients well. When the mixture looks shiny and springy, store it for 30 minutes to allow the gluten to sit and make it easier to stretch and work.

9

     Divide the mixture into 2-4 parts, it all depends on the size of your table, and stretch each part until it is about 3 or 4 millimeters thick.

10

     In one of the stretched doughs, place large tablespoons of the filling, about 5 centimeters apart. Garnish the Venezuelan pastry with a slice of egg. Then, with a brush dampened with water, moisten the edges around each tablespoon of filling.

11

     Carefully cover each filling with the other stretched dough and, with your fingers, glue the doughs to the moistened areas. Cut to form cupcakes, which can be round or square. Close the edges tightly with the tines of a fork and stick the fork into the cupcake twice to make small holes.

Tip: You can also cut circles of dough to join them or shape them into patties.

12

     Heat enough oil over medium heat to fry the Andean pastries and brown them on both sides. Remember that you can also cook the Venezuelan pastries in the oven at 180 ºC until golden, about 15 minutes.

13

     It is tradition to serve the recipe for Andean pastries accompanied with guasacaca and a pineapple guarapo, a traditional Andean drink.

     Venezuelan Andean pastries - Recommendations and accompaniments

If your budget is low, always choose chives and cilantro over onion and garlic. In the Andes, chives are much more appreciated and are known as "branch onion". Likewise, if you wish, you can use spices such as pepper or cumin, but the more traditional Andean do not use it for their stews.

     On the other hand, you can fill the Andean pastries with chicken. You only need to boil it, shred it and cook it following the steps of this same recipe. Just remember that cooked chicken is added after the vegetables are done, not before.

     Finally, if you are a vegetarian but still want to know how to make Andean pastries, you have several options: dehydrated soy, a stew with potatoes and aubergines and, not to get away from Andean cuisine, chickpea stew.