Description
My pastelitos de carne are filled with a savory picadillo ground beef filling wrapped in buttery puff pastry. Make sure to set a timer for 30 minutes while thawing the puff pastry to achieve those perfectly flaky layers. Finished with a brush of simple syrup, they’re a classic Cuban snack that’s perfect for sharing (or not!).
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 4 sheets puff pastry, thawed
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/3 cup sofrito
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 tsp sazon seasoning
- 1 tsp adobo seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup pimento olives and/or raisins
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Make the picadillo filling: Sauté the onions and peppers in oil until translucent. Add sofrito, ground beef and spices, breaking up the beef as it browns. Add tomato sauce and olives/raisins then cover, lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the beef is fully cooked.
- Cut and assemble puff pastry: Roll out each thawed pastry before cutting each sheet into 9 circles (36 total). Arrange half of the circles on a parchment lined baking sheets. Place a few scoops of the picadillo in the center of each circle. Brush the perimeters with the beaten egg.
- Bake the pastelitos: Arrange the remaining puff pastry circles on top of the picadillo, pressing the tops and bottoms together and sealing with a fork. Brush the tops with beaten egg and use a knife to cut vents in the top. Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Finish with simple syrup: Pour boiling water over the sugar and stir to dissolve. Brush the simple syrup over the pastelitos fresh out of the oven. Cool and enjoy!
