• 6 lb pork shoulder
• 1 cup garlic
• 1/4 oregano
• 1/4 vinegar
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp salt

Grind and mix together garlic, oregano, vinager, salt, and pepper. Cut slits across the skin of the pork shoulder and continue into the meat approx. 1". Along the other sides of the shoulder cut several openings. With your fingers push marinade inside of the pork shoulder concentrating on the slits in the skin and the holes made on the meat sides. Let sit for three days in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 450, cook shoulder for 1 hour uncovered. lower heat to 350 and cook uncovered until inside has a temperature reading of 160-165.

• 3 packs of banana leaves

Seasoning:

• 1/2 teaspoon of black peppercorn
• 1 cup garlic
• 6 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of salt

To cook meat:

• 1 cup of sofrito
• 4 oz of vegetable shortening with annatto
• 2 cups of chicken broth

For Annatto Shortening

• 12 oz of vegetable shortening or oil
• 1 oz of annatto seeds

For Dough

• 5 lbs of white taro root
• 5 lbs of green bananas
• 2lbs of potatoes
• 2 lbs of tropical squash
• 1 green plantain
• 5 tablespoons of salt
• 4 oz of annatto shortening

Preparation of Leaves

If the leaves are frozen, thaw them out. Separate the leaves, avoiding breakage. Using a pair of scissors, cut leaves into halves and clean on both sides with a damp soft cloth. Cut the vein at the top edge of the leaf. Cut leaf into 12 inch pieces. Boil leaves in water. To ensure that the leaves remain shiny and flexible, wrap them in the refrigerator until ready.

Pork Meat filling

Rinse the meat and remove all excess fat, tissue and cut into small pieces.

Seasoning for meat:

Grind black pepper, garlic cloves, olive oil, white vinegar, and salt in mortar and pestle and mix well.

Pour the seasoning over meat, mix well and let it rest in the refrigerator until the next day.

Annatto Shortening

In the skillet, melt the 12 oz of vegetable shortening add 1 ounce of annatto seeds and cook on medium heat for 4 minutes. Remove from flame and strain. Four ounces of this solution will be used for the preparation of the meat, 4 ounces for the lubrication of the leaves and 4 ounces for the dough.

In the kettle heat 4 oz of the annatto shortening on medium heat, add the sofrito and cook for 2 minutes; add the meat, broth and cook covered on low heat for 30 minutes. Uncover and add the tomato paste and mix well. Cook uncovered for an additional 30 minutes or until the meat is tender and sauce thickens. Let the meat cool in the refrigerator for 4 hours before using as a filling.

Dough

Peel, rinse and dry all root vegetables. After peeling the green bananas put them in salted water to avoid oxidation. Grate the taro root and bananas first and mix well. Add salt and 4 oz of the melted annatto shortening. Using a ladle mix all these ingredients well. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour before you start molding the pastels.

Forming pastels

To form the pastels, a large area in order to arrange all the ingredients. To form each pastel, place a 12 inch plantain leaf on a flat surface. Using a spoon, lubricate the center of leaf with a small amount of annatto shortening. Place 2 tablespoons of the dough over the lubricated area. With a spoon, spread the dough evenly and place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of the dough, extend the filling from one end to the other. Place over the filling 1 or 2 olives and slices of fancy pimentos, then, using the spoon, cover the filling with the dough.

Fold the leaf over the dough several times to cover it completely. Mold the “pastel” in a rectangular shape and then fold each end of the leaf towards the center forming a compact packet. Place 2 finished “pastels” over each other where they meet face to face on their folded sides. Before binding them together, place in the freezer for 1 hour so they can be firm and can be tied easier. After the “pastels” are tied return to the freezer until you are ready to cook them. These can stay frozen fresh for up to 6 months.

To cook the pastels, boil water in a large pot and add 4 tablespoons of salt. Add the pastels and cook them covered for 1 hour. Serve with rice, ketchup and hot sauce.

• 1 cup of garlic
• 5 medium onions
• 1 handful of cilantro
• 1 handful of coriander
• 1/4 lb of scotch bonnet peppers (ajidulces) if available
• 3 cups tomato paste
• 6 cups of water
• 1/4 olive oil
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp Black pepper
• 1/4 sugar

Clean the garlic, onions and remove the seeds of the scotch bonnet peppers. Discard the roots of the cilantro and the coriander. Rinse the leaves with cold water several times to remove the excess dirt. Cut these ingredients into small pieces.

In the blender add the onions, garlic, scotch bonnet peppers and lastly the cilantro and coriander. Blend until fine. Once blended cook in a large skillet with olive oil then add salt, pepper, and sugar. Once the onions become transparent (not brown) add tomato paste and water and mix until completely blended. Store extra sofrito in freezer.

• 2 cups of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of grain annatto

Heat the skillet on a medium flame and melt vegetable shortening, add the annatto and lower the flame. Cook for 3 minutes. Strain the lard and discard the seeds. Preserve in a glass container with lid.

• 1lb 13 oz can green pigeon peas
• 1/2 cup achiote oil
• 2 cups sofrito
• 1 Tbs olives and capers
• 4 Tbs salt
• 8 cups of chicken broth or water
• 8 cups of white rice

Rinse the rice a few times and drain. Heat the achiote oil on a low flame for 2 minutes. Add the sofrito, olives and capers, and sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Add the green pigeon peas, rice, chicken broth and mix well. Make sure that level of broth is above the rice.

Cook uncovered on a medium flame until it dries. (Once your spoon should be able to stand up in the rice on its own.) Once dried, reduced to a low flame and stir. Cover and cook for twenty minutes. Then, uncover and stir for a second time, cover and cook for an additional twenty minutes.

• 6 large egg yolks
• 12 oz evaporated milk
• 14 oz condensed milk
• 15 oz of cream of coconut
• 1 Tbs of powdered cinnamon
• 2 Tbs of vanilla extract
• 1 pint of white rum (or 151)

Separate and discard the whites of the eggs. In the mixing bowl, beat the yolks and the sugar until reaching a creamy consistency. Add the condensed and evaporated milk, cream of coconut, cinnamon, vanilla extract, rum and lightly beat. Keep in a glass bottle and conserve in the refrigerator. The flavor of this drink gets better with time. Prepare 2 months before Christmas.