Brazilian Pastel: Savory Brazilian Meat Pastry
Who could go wrong with savory meat, cheese, bell pepper, onion, and garlic in the perfect pastry shell? A favorite of many, Brazilian pastel is the ultimate snack or snacky dinner food. And making it has never been simpler, with this secret to getting the easiest perfect pastry shell.
Ah, Brazilian food. With our mutual love of cheese, meat, and fried foods, it’s no wonder that American and Brazilian taste buds get along.
What do Brazilians eat?
You’ve heard of Brazilian rice and beans, and you’ve probably also heard of Brazilian barbeque.
But have you heard of pastel?
What is Brazilian pastel?
Picture pastel as a golden, deep-fried treasure. Because that’s exactly what it is to Brazilians.
Every time my husband and I have visited my in-laws in Brazil, we have made a compulsory stop (or two) on our way to his hometown to buy pastel and other Brazilian treats. Tasting it was that necessary.
How do you make Brazilian pastel?
Because we live outside of Brazil, pastel is a treat for us. But the thought of making the pastry part of pastel turned me off to giving it a try more than once, mostly because the special ingredients were nearly impossible to find in our overseas community.
So when my husband learned that I would be cooking pastel, he thanked me profusely.
How can you make an easy Brazilian snack?
What made me change my mind and take the dive into trying my hand at cooking this lovely, ethnic food?
The discovery that I could simplify the process by using frozen puff pastry dough.
Yep. I cheated on the traditional recipe. And it was soooo worth it.
To be frank, I was quite intimidated to try to live up to my Brazilian hubby’s expectations of this delicious dish, but his consumption of four pastel in one sitting was more than enough commendation to allay my fears.
And both my husband and I are so grateful to have pastel on our rotation of Brazilian meals/snacks now. In fact, he requested that it be added to our menu at least once a month–which is something he never asks.
Final Thoughts on Brazilian Pastel
I trust you will be happy to try this quick, simple version of a delicious Brazilian tradition, too. Enjoy it the traditional Brazilian way: dipped in ketchup or mustard.
What is your favorite Brazilian food? What other Brazilian dishes would you like to try your hand at? Leave your comment below, and I’d love to help you get the recipe.
Chat with you soon,
Quick and Easy Pastel:
Savory Brazilian Meat Pastries
Course: Snack, dinnerCuisine: BrazilianDifficulty: Easy3
servings (2 pastries each)15
minutes5
minutes300
kcalIngredients
- Meat Filling:
300 grams of ground meat (about 0.7 pounds; I mixed pork and beef)
Half of a bell pepper, chopped finely (approximately ⅛ cup)
⅛ cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
½ tsp. beef bouillon
Salt and pepper to taste
- Assembly:
1 cup mozzarella cheese
6 sheets of puff pastry dough (you will roll these out into rectangles of 5 x 7 – inches)
Water for moistening the puff pastry sheet edges
Light oil for deep-frying (canola oil, sunflower oil, etc.)
Directions
- In a saucepan over medium-low heat, brown the meat, seasoning with salt, pepper, and beef bouillon. Before the meat has finished browning, add in onion, garlic, and green bell pepper. Cook just until the vegetables have softened. Remove from the heat.
- Using a rolling pin, roll the puff pastry into rectangles about 5 x 7 inches.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and the meat mixture onto the puff pastry sheets. (The dough will be folded over on itself to make a little pocket, so make sure not to fill it too close to the edges. You do want to avoid what Brazilians call pastel de vento (pastel of the wind), though; don’t disappoint yourself or your family with too-airy pastel that is all pastry and puff and little meat. Make your pastries hearty in filling.)
- Fold over the pastry sheets to cover the contents. Dip your finger into some water and moisten the edges of the pastries to help them seal. Then use a fork to crimp the edges so that they are firmly sealed. (You don’t want the delicious filling escaping during the deep-frying process.)
- Line a plate or bowl with paper towels. Preheat the oil in a deep pot. (I used about 1 ½ inches of oil in my pan. You want the oil to cover the pastel halfway.) Bring the oil to a light, rippling heat. Place one pastel in the oil. If the oil is hot enough, it should produce bubbles around the sides of the pastel. Fry the pastel for about 30 seconds (or until light golden brown) on one side and then, using tongs, flip it over gently, being careful not to break the pastry skin. Fry on the second side for an additional 20-30 seconds. Because the meat is already fully cooked, only the puff pastry needs to fry and the cheese needs to melt. When it has turned a lovely golden brown, remove the pastel to the dish lined with paper towels.
- Repeat the frying process (step #5) with the remaining pastel, one at a time. Keep a careful eye on the heat because it is quite easy to brown the pastel a bit too much, especially after you have already fried a few pastel and the oil has heated up.
- Serve warm with ketchup and mustard for dipping.
Notes
- Serving Suggestions: Because pastel tends to be somewhat heavy due to its frying process, I recommend serving it up with fresh vegetables and fruit. Brazilian vinaigrette is a great side dish to pair with pastel.
- Variations: Pastel is full of possibilities! My husband suggests adding scrambled egg or varying the meat (chicken, etc.). You can also try a cheese-only pastel.
