Puerto Rican Green Plantain and Pork Tamales

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These traditional Puerto Rican tamales are a beloved holiday staple made from a soft masa of grated green bananas, plantains, yuca, and yautía wrapped around a savory pork filling. Each bundle is tightly wrapped in banana leaves and gently boiled until the masa becomes tender and infused with the smoky, herbal aroma of the leaves.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 860 kcalCalories
• 36 gFat
• 11 gSaturated Fat
• 98 gCarbs
• 9 gFiber
• 7 gSugar
• 38 gProtein
• 1080 mgSodium
• 1450 mgPotassium
• 95 mgCalcium
• 4.5 mgIron
• 32 mgVitamin C
• 120 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the root vegetable masa

• 3 lbs green bananas (about 6 medium), peeled
• 1 lb green plantains (about 2 medium), peeled
• 1/2 lb yuca (cassava), peeled and cored
• 1/2 lb yautía (taro) or calabaza pumpkin, peeled
• 1/4 cup annatto-infused oil or olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pork lard
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the pork filling

• 1.5 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup sofrito (recao, onion, garlic, pepper blend)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup pitted green olives, halved
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup pork or chicken broth

For wrapping

• 12 pieces banana leaf, each about 10×12 inches
• Butcher's twine, cut into 18-inch lengths
• 2 cups water for the steaming pot

Directions

1. Make the pork filling: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Sauté onion for 4 minutes until translucent, then add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add pork cubes and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Stir in sofrito, tomato paste, oregano, cumin, olives, capers, salt, pepper, and broth. Cover and simmer 35 to 40 minutes until pork is fork-tender and most liquid has been absorbed; remove from heat and cool.
2. Prepare the masa: Peel all the green bananas, plantains, yuca, and yautía. Working in batches, grate them through the medium disc of a food processor or by hand on a box grater. Transfer to a large bowl, sprinkle with salt, add the annatto oil and lard, then knead by hand for 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture is uniformly soft, slightly sticky, and pale yellow-orange.
3. Prepare banana leaves by briefly passing each piece over an open gas flame or dipping in boiling water for 10 seconds until pliable and bright green. Pat dry with a kitchen towel.
4. Assemble each tamale: Place about 1/3 cup of masa in the center of a leaf piece and press into a 4×5 inch rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of pork filling down the middle. Fold the short sides over the filling, then fold the long sides to form a neat rectangular packet. Tie securely with twine in both directions.
5. Stack the wrapped bundles seam-side up in a large stockpot fitted with a steamer rack or inverted heat-safe plate on the bottom. Add water until it reaches just below the rack. Cover the pot tightly with a lid.
6. Bring to a full boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady medium-low simmer. Steam the tamales for 70 to 75 minutes, checking occasionally to add more water so the pot does not boil dry. The masa should feel firm and pull away easily from the leaf when a tamale is unwrapped.
7. Carefully lift the bundles from the pot and let them rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Unwrap and serve warm with arroz con gandules, avocado slices, and your favorite hot sauce.

Cook’s Notes

• Use a food processor with the shredding disc to cut masa prep time in half and keep the grated roots from oxidizing too quickly; toss each batch with a little annatto oil as you go.
• Wear food-safe gloves when peeling and grating yuca, yautía, and green bananas because their sap can stain hands and the yuca core must be fully removed to avoid stringy texture.
• If banana leaves are unavailable, wrap each tamale first in parchment paper, then in a double layer of heavy-duty foil, and steam as directed.
• Pasteles freeze beautifully: cool completely, leave them wrapped, and freeze for up to 6 months. Reheat by steaming straight from the freezer for 25 to 30 minutes.
• For a leaner filling, substitute pork shoulder with pork loin and reduce the lard in the masa to 1 tablespoon; the pasteles will be slightly less rich but still flavorful.

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