Easy Pork Pastel Recipe

Are you wondering what to cook for lunch or special occasions? If you’re into meaty food, you’ll surely enjoy Pork Pastel. It’s a delicious comfort food you can enjoy with your family and friends. Like the chicken variant, Pork Pastel is a popular dish in the Philippines served on occasions and the holidays. This viand can be eaten for lunch and dinner, along with freshly cooked rice. The dish is known for its combination of savory, creamy, and sweet flavors that kids and adults will love. So, if you’re ready to impress your loved ones and guests, read on as we share our easy Pork Pastel recipe.

Pastel is the Spanish word for sugary pastry and has Hispanic and Portuguese roots. Moreover, various dishes from different countries are named after Pastel, such as the Brazilian pies fried in vegetables and made of a rectangle-shaped or half-circle thin crust with assorted fillings. It’s a classic Brazilian fast food with a crispy and brownish crust. Meanwhile, Pastel, in Portugal, refers to various types of desserts. Puerto Rico also has their own version of Pastel, which consists of diced pork, capers, olives, chickpeas, sweet peppers, and raisins. In short, Pastel refers to different dishes from various countries.

In the Philippines, Pastel is also a popular dish made of chicken. But in this recipe, we’ll use pork instead of chicken. Pork Pastel is a type of stew that consists of evaporated milk, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, sausages, or hotdogs. The dish is usually made with a pie crust, keeping its flavorful filling hidden. However, making a pie crust is not an easy feat. Thus, we’ll omit that in this recipe to make things quick and easy. Even if you’re a beginner, you can make this mouthwatering dish without sweating!

But before you make Pork Pastel, let’s talk about where the dish originated. Pork Pastel is a viand made of tender pork cubes cooked in a creamy sauce with other spices and ingredients. It’s the pork version of Chicken Pastel, a traditional stew or pie in the Philippines that consists of chicken, sausages, mushrooms, peas, carrots, and potatoes. You can also use hotdogs, Vienna sausages, or chorizo de Macao as an alternative. This version was inspired by the Spanish dish Pastel de Pollo, a classic pie recipe.

On the other hand, Filipino-style Chicken Pastel is typically not baked with a thin pie crust. Instead, Filipinos use local ingredients and consume the dish with white rice. It can also be cooked with pork and often served during the Yuletide season. Therefore, the Pork Pastel recipe is a sure hit this coming Christmas! Now, let’s prepare the ingredients you’ll need for the dish. To make this recipe foolproof, choosing the right cut of pork matters. Since this recipe already has a rich and creamy sauce, avoid using fatty cuts, such as pork belly, even if it’s more flavorful.

The most ideal cut for this recipe is pork tenderloin. You can also go for nicely marbled pork scotch if you want a perfect balance of fat and lean meat. Also, you can use franks, hotdogs, or any sausage you want to add more flavor to the dish. You’ll also need an evaporated milk to make the dish creamy. But to make it creamier, opt for all-purpose cream or add cornstarch to the evaporated milk. Once you’re done cooking, serve your Pork Pastel with freshly cooked white rice and a cool beverage!