Guatemalan Paches Recipe
Paches, one of the many varieties of tamales, is part of a rich tradition of masa (corn flour) dishes in the Americas. Tamales have been made throughout Central and South America for nearly five millennia, with many recipes having unknown origins. Fortunately, the origin of Paches can be traced to the Quetzaltenango region of Guatemala, which is known for its abundant potato harvests.In Guatemala, there is a tradition called "Jueves de Paches" or "Paches Thursdays," where street vendors often serve Paches on Thursdays and other types of tamales on different days of the week. Paches is a Guatemalan dish made by mixing mashed potatoes with corn flour to form a dough, which is then wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.
Ingredients
- Banana leaves, cut into pieces (total of 12 pieces) – 1 lb
- Russet potatoes – 3 lb.
- Pork shoulder, cubed – 1 lb
- Pork lard – ¼ lb
- Masa Harina – ½ cup
- Warm water – ¾ cup
- Vegetable oil – ½ cup
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Bird's eye chiles – 6
For the sauce:
- Tomatoes, halved – 1 lb
- White onion, halved – 1
- Garlic – 3 cloves
- Pepitas – 1 tbsp
- Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp
- Guajillo chili, dried – 1
- Pasilla chili, dried – 1
- Achiote paste – 1 tbsp
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Pepper – ½ tsp
- Allspice – ½ tsp
- Cloves – ¼ tsp
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Begin by starting on your sauce. Place the halved tomatoes, garlic, and onion on foil on a baking sheet. Ensure the open (cut) side is down and roast for 20-25 minutes, until the ingredients are softened and beginning to char.
- While these ingredients are roasting, take this time to prepare your banana leaves. In a large pot, boil water on medium-high.
- While the water is heating, cut 6 leaves into 13×10-inch rectangles, and six more leaves into 10×8-inch pieces.
- Once the water has begun to boil, place the cut leaves into the pot for about 2 minutes. The leaves are ready when they turn bright green. Drain and set aside to dry and cool.
- Finish preparing your other ingredients for your sauce. On a skillet over medium-high heat, toast your pepitas for 3 minutes. Toss frequently until the pepitas have turned gold. Once finished, set aside on a plate to cool.
- Pour your sesame seeds into the pan and toast for 30 seconds. Transfer to the same plate as the pepitas.
- Turn off the heat and add guajillo chiles. Toast for 15 seconds on each side. Remove chiles from the pan and put them into a bowl. Submerge in 1 cup of hot water and let steep for 10 minutes.
- In your blender, combine the roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, seeds, guajillo chiles, and ½ of the chili water. Then add the remainder of the sauce ingredients and blend until completely smooth.
- Prepare your dough. In a large pot, peel and then boil your potatoes for 25- 30 minutes, until tender. Drain and let cool before cutting into small cubes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine masa harina and warm water. Mix until combined. Add in the chopped potatoes, oil, and salt, and then mix on low for 1-2 minutes.
- Add about 1 cup of the sauce from before and mix at low until the dough is a uniform color. Careful not to overmix as you want to keep some of the smaller chunks of tomato in the dough.
- Assemble your paches. On a flat work surface, place the larger cut of the banana leaf down. Take a smaller banana leaf and place it in the center of the larger one. Using a spoon, scoop 1 cup of dough into the center of the smaller banana lead. Use the spoon or your fingers to shape the dough into a 6×4-inch rectangle.
- Take a chunk of pork shoulder and a bird’s eye chili and put it into the dough.
- Repeat this step until you have used all the dough, pork shoulder, and chile.
- Go back through and pour ¼ cup of the sauce onto each piece of dough and meat. It is okay if it spills over the side.
- Wrap the paches by folding the long banana leaf sides over the dough. Use this time to shape the Paches into a rectangle, similar to a tamale. Fold one short side over, and then roll upwards over the remaining side to close.
- Use twine to wrap the paches in a criss-cross shape. This will ensure that the filling stays secure, and the banana leaves do not unfurl when steaming.
- In a large pot, add 3 inches of water. Place a steamer basket inside, or a wire rack if necessary. Use leftover banana leaves to create a layer in the basket or on the rack.
- Place the paches in the pot, keeping them close together. Bring the water to a high boil for 2 minutes before reducing to a simmer. Cover and steam for 1 ½ hours. Make sure to add more water every 20-30 minutes to prevent burning the pot.
- Once the paches are done cooking, carefully remove them with tongs and place them onto a dish with the seam side up. Untie the twine and open the leaves. Serve atop the banana leaves with bread and limes. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 1003kcalCarbohydrates: 93gProtein: 43gFat: 52gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 1538mgFiber: 11gSugar: 19g
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