Pastelillos de Guayaba
Panaderías in Puerto Rico are magical. Their brightly lit glass cases are lined with fresh-baked bread and rich pastries, begging you to order too many. As a child, I clamored for pastelillos (also called pastelitos) de guayaba. The pastries typically have a flaky crust and are filled with a generous smear of concentrated guava paste — an embodiment of tropical Caribbean flavor — and often with cheese, served glazed or dusted with powdered sugar. In East Harlem, or El Barrio, New York’s historical Puerto Rican enclave where I lived for some time, I discovered Valencia Bakery on East 103rd Street, which made a bite-size version with a generous amount of powdered sugar, creating a portal between the island and my new home. My recipe is inspired by Valencia’s.
Total time: 1½ hours
1 (17.3-ounce) package puff pastry (2 sheets)
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk of choice, including oat milk or other nondairy milks
7 ounces guava paste, cut into 16 (1⁄4-inch) square or rectangular slices
6 ounces queso fresco en hoja or farmer cheese, cut into 16 (1⁄4-inch) slices
2 to 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions: Set out puff pastry to thaw for 40 minutes at room temperature. Once pastry is thawed, line a 12-by-17-inch baking sheet with 2 pieces of parchment paper. (The double layer helps to protect your pan when you’re cutting the puff pastry.) Heat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare your egg wash by whisking egg and milk together. Keep it handy. Lay one layer of puff pastry on top of parchment paper on the baking sheet. Make a 4-by-4 grid of guava stacked with cheese, spaced evenly, leaving about 1 inch of space in between. Top with the second puff-pastry sheet. Using a pizza cutter, slice the puff pastry into 16 equal pieces, touching the top lightly to determine where to slice. It’s OK if you don’t do a perfect job; these are especially good when the guava spills out and caramelizes along the edges. (And don’t worry too much about getting the cut exact or pieces being odd sizes. It gives them character.) Working quickly, use a fork to crimp all four edges twice on each side, then arrange them evenly on the baking sheet, leaving space between each. Brush the tops and edges lightly with the prepared egg wash and place baking sheet in the center of the oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until pastelillos are beautifully golden brown, flaky and puffy. Out of the oven, let pastelillos rest for at least 10 minutes before eating. (Guava is molten hot and will burn your mouth, badly.) Once they’ve cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar to taste. They can be eaten warm or at room temperature and will keep for several days in an airtight container. Heat leftovers in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees to bring back their crispness.
Makes 16 servings
Pernil
Perhaps the best-known and most coveted dish from Puerto Rico, pernil is a positively sumptuous preparation for pork shoulder. It’s marinated in garlic, citrus and herbs, then slow-roasted on high heat to achieve a crisp chicharrón, or skin. Traditionally, it’s prepared for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but for those of us in the diaspora, it’s often made for special occasions. This recipe is indebted to chef Maricel Presilla and her recipe in “Gran Cocina Latina,” her cookbook published in 2012. Her method is a foolproof way to get that chicharrón as well as tender meat that falls off the bone. It’s blessed by her brilliance.
Total time: 3 to 4 hours, plus marinating
ADOBO (see tips)
8 to 9 large garlic cloves, finely minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 teaspoons fresh sour orange juice (or equal parts lime and orange juice)
4 teaspoons dried oregano
8 to 9 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
PORK SHOULDER
1 (8- to 9-pound) bone-in, skin-on pork shoulder, preferably with skin covering the entire top layer
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions: Prepare the adobo by combining all the ingredients and grinding in a large pilón, or mortar and pestle, or simply mixing together well in a small bowl. Prepare the pork: Rinse and dry meat well with a clean towel. Place pork skin-side down on a large rimmed sheet pan and poke deep, 1-inch holes throughout the meat and in the fatty layer with a paring knife, being careful not to pierce the skin. You can’t have too many holes. Pour over adobo in batches, using your fingers to push adobo deep into the meat. If you’re worried about your hands smelling like garlic — which they will — wear gloves. Set out a long sheet of plastic wrap, layering with subsequent sheets as needed to ensure you can securely wrap the entire pork shoulder. Transfer pork to plastic wrap and wrap tightly, adding sheets of plastic as needed to ensure pork is airtight and juices are contained. Let marinate in the fridge overnight if possible, or at least 2 to 3 hours. Set on a rimmed baking sheet or disposable aluminum-foil pan in case it leaks. Once the pork has marinated, heat oven to 400 degrees. Working over the sink, carefully remove pork from plastic wrap, discarding any remaining adobo. Place the marinated pork shoulder skin-side up in a deep roasting pan and wipe the skin with a clean cloth. Rub skin with 1 teaspoon salt. Loosely tent foil over the pork shoulder, spraying the foil with cooking spray or brushing with oil in any areas that may touch the skin, as it will stick. Transfer to the center of the oven. Roast in the oven for 1 hour, then carefully remove the foil and rotate the pan. Continue roasting for another 2 to 3 hours, rotating every hour or so and watching closely. Add water to the pan as needed when juices evaporate. The meat is done cooking when the juices run clear and the thickest part of the leg registers 160 degrees with a meat thermometer. The skin may take more time to crisp, but watch closely so that it does not burn. Tap the top of the skin with the back of a knife or metal spatula and listen for a decidedly hollow sound. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes, then transfer to a large cutting board. (For cleaning instructions for the pan, see notes.) If desired, remove the skin from the roast by slicing it along the underside of the bone with a long, sharp, slender knife. Run the knife underneath the skin starting from the bottom until loosened, then lift the skin from the meat. Use kitchen shears to cut into serving pieces and let them rest in the warm oven until ready to eat. Trim excess fat from the meat if desired, and slice as desired, in large chunks or slices, to serve.
Tips: You can use a smaller or larger pork shoulder, but calculate your adobo accordingly by using the following formula per pound of meat: 1 large garlic clove, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1⁄2 teaspoon sour orange juice, 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano and 1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper. If using a smaller pork shoulder, you may want to reduce the amount of salt slightly.
Use a pan that can handle char. You can line your pan with foil, but that can be even messier. When you’re ready to clean, combine 1⁄2 cup baking soda and enough hot water to cover the burned spots, and let rest for half an hour. Char should release easily with your abrasive tool of choice.
Makes 8 to 10 servings