Pate

After so many years here I have grown to dearly love a great deal of Caribbean foods. Some healthier than others. These little lovelies are throughout the Caribbean for sure or "fo' true mi son" if we are speaking Island, and are like a Caribbean 'Hot-Pocket'. Here we have a recipe for the version I am most familiar with, the US Virgin Islands Meat Pate (pah-tey). Not to be confused with the French pâté made from goose liver.

On some of the other islands they are called patties, empanadas, pastelitos or as arepas (ah-ray-pas) on some of the Spanish speaking islands. I have had them filled with a curry type vegetable filling, a sloppy-joe kinda beef filling, shrimp, conch (Conk, like honk. Pronounce it with the 'ch' at the end, and  they will look at you as if you have two heads while shaking theirs), lobster, crab, salt fish (bacalao), chapin (cha-pin) a little tiny sized fish, and a plethora of others ways. I think the ease with which they could be made and carried was behind their popularity, as they are the original 'fast food' of the Caribbean. For me there was many a morning that breakfast was a pate grabbed from the lovely lady frying them up at the ferry dock and a coffee as I ran to catch the ferry from one island to the other to get to work. Enjoy!

US Virgin Islands: Meat Pate 
Meat Pate 
Step I. Pastry 
4 cups flour 
4 level tablespoons unsalted vegetable shortening 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
1 cup water 

Directions: 
Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Cut in shortening with knives or pastry blender. Add water gradually to form a soft dough. Knead gently on a floured board for a few minutes. Cover and let rest for about 10 minutes. Shape into small balls, roll out and cut into size circles desired for turnovers. 

Step II. Filling 
1/2 lb. lean ground pork AND 
1/2 lb. ground beef 
OR 
1 lb. ground beef (omitting pork) 
1 large sweet pepper 
1 medium onion 
1 tablespoon minced celery 
1 tablespoon minced parsley 

2 tablespoons margarine* 
1 clove garlic, crushed 
Hot pepper to taste (optional) 
1/4 cut tomato paste 
1/4 teaspoon Oregano 
1 tablespoon fine bread crumbs 

Sauté pork in margarine* until brown, usually about 10 minutes, add beef and continue cooking another 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Cook for a few minutes longer (make sure beef is cooked, no longer pink) If filling seems very dry add a little water.

*Original recipe calls for margarine, however in my opinion Butter is better and should always be used. I like to be able to pronounce all the ingredients in the food I am eating.  

Step III. Prepare and Cook 
Place filling on each circle of dough, leaving edge bare, moisten edge with water, turn over and seal meat inside dough by pressing moist edge together with fork. Fry in hot deep fat, until dough in golden brown.