Serves: 8
Total Calories: 1,086

3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or lard
1 egg
BEEF FILLING
2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons cooking oils
1 chopped onion
1 teaspoon flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
3/4 cup chopped green olives
2 to 3 cups oils to fry the pastéis

Pastéis (singular pastel) are very Brazilian. The familiar shops often sell caldo de cana to drink with the pastéis. This drink is made by a special machine where sugar cane sticks are inserted into the machine. It is light green in color and very sweet. Pastéis are also commonly found on the Brazilian table with rice, brown beans and lettuce salad. They are equally popular served in a smaller size at fancy cocktail parties. They should be served hot from the pan.

Sift the flour, add the salt, cut in the butter or lard and add the egg. Add drops of warm water until the dough holds together. Mix until it becomes smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise one hour.

In Brazil you find several types of fillings:
__Palmitos in white sauce
__A square of white cheese, maybe Swiss
__Beef—see below

BEEF FILLING
Heat the oil, add the onion and the ground beef. When well browned, add the flour, the salt and the pepper, the parsley and the green olives. While the above mixture is cooking, roll dough out to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 3 inch squares. Place a spoonful of filling on each square. Put another square on top and seal. You could dampen the edge of the pastel and then seal by pressing down with a fork. The pastéis would be made smaller for appetizers.

Heat the oil until it smokes. Deep fry pastéis individually. Drain on absorbent towel and eat hot. Alternate fillings: Palmitos in a white sauce (see Little Pies- Beef Fil), or cut squares of Swiss or mozzarella cheese, meat sauce recipe above. Small size pastéis are used as hors d’oeuvres and larger pastéis served as part of dinner.

For a short cut to making the dough listed above, you can use wonton skins which are readily found in the produce counter at the super market.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 8
Total Calories: 1,086
Calories from Fat: 727

More Recipes from the A Taste of Brazil Cookbook:
Little Pies (Empadinhas)
Little Pies - Ground Beef Filling
Little Pies- Chicken Filling
Little Pies- Cheese Filling
Little Pies- Shrimp Filling
Mock Chicken Legs (Coxinha de galinha)
Cod Fish Croquette (Bolinho de bacalhau)
Cheese Croquette (Bolinho de queijo)
Meat Croquette (Croquete de carne cozida)
Meat Turnovers (Pastéis)
Fried Prawns (Camarão frito)
Melon with Ham (Melão com presunto)
Fresh Figs with Ham (Figos frescos com presunto)