Pastel de Carne

Name: Pastel de Carne
Cook time: 100 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Brazilian
Ingredients: 500g All-purpose Flour; 1 tsp Salt, fine; 2 tbsp Cachaça; 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil; 220ml Water, warm, approx., to bring the dough together; 500g Ground Beef, 80–85% lean; 1 medium Onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves of Garlic, minced; 1 medium Tomato, seeded and diced; 50g Green Olives, chopped, about 1/3 cup; 2 tbsp Parsley, fresh, chopped; 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil, for sautéing; 1 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Pepper (Black), ground; 1.5 l Neutral Vegetable Oil, for deep-frying

Pastel de Carne is a golden, crisp turnover filled with a savory, well-seasoned ground beef mixture — perfect as a snack or party food. Each pastel combines a tender, flaky dough with a juicy filling studded with tomatoes, olives and fresh parsley, delivering a delightful contrast of textures and bright, comforting flavors.

Pastel de Carne is a golden, crisp turnover filled with a savory, well-seasoned ground beef mixture — perfect as a snack or party ... Show more

Traditional Brazilian Recipe

Health Grade

C- · Balanced

Rating

4.2

Time

1 hr40 min

Price

1,25 €

Calories

1216 kcal

high protein

low sugar

kid friendly

comfort food

Method

Make the dough

In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour with fine salt. Stir in cachaça and vegetable oil, then add warm water a little at a time, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured counter for 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic, then cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Prep the filling

While the dough rests, finely chop onion, mince garlic, seed and dice tomato, chop green olives, and chop fresh parsley.

Cook the filling

Heat a large skillet over medium-high with 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute, then crumble in ground beef and cook for 6 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and no pink remains. Add the tomato, olives, 1 tsp salt, and black pepper, then cook for 3 minutes more, until the filling is juicy but not watery. Take the pan off the heat, fold in the parsley, transfer the filling to a plate, and let it cool until just warm.

Roll the dough

Divide the rested dough into 8 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece very thin, almost translucent, and cut neat circles or rectangles with a bowl, plate, or cutter. Keep the pieces covered with a towel as you work so they do not dry out.

Fill and seal

Spoon 1–2 tbsp of the cooled filling onto one side of each dough piece, leaving a border all the way around. Brush the edge lightly with a little water, fold the dough over into a half-moon, press out any trapped air, and crimp the seam tightly with a fork or your fingers. Set the sealed pastels on a tray while you finish the batch.

Fry the pastels

Pour the 1.5 l of neutral vegetable oil into a deep pot and heat it to 350° F. Fry the pastels in batches for 2 minutes per side, turning once, until puffed and deep golden. Drain on paper towels or a rack and serve right away while they are crisp.