Pastéis de Chaves are the pride of Chaves, in Trás-os-Montes: thin, many-layered pastry parcels folded around a slow-simmered veal filling, sold warm in nearly every pastelaria in town and protected as a regional specialty (they carry an EU protected geographical indication).
The filling is really a small stew in disguise, veal or beef shin cooked low and slow with onion, garlic, white wine and a little cured ham until it falls apart, then chopped fine and wrapped tight. Traditional pastry takes patience; for a weeknight, good store-bought puff pastry, rolled a touch thinner, is a very reasonable shortcut.
They freeze beautifully unbaked, which makes them ideal to have on hand for unexpected guests. Serve them alongside our rissóis de carne (recipe on the site) for a proper Portuguese appetizer spread, with a squeeze of lemon and nothing else needed.
Pastéis de Chaves Recipe
Ingredients
- For the filling:
- 1 lb beef shin or veal stew meat, cut into large chunks
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 oz cured ham or prosciutto, finely diced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- For the pastries:
- 2 sheets store-bought puff pastry, thawed (about 17 oz total)
- 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
- Flour, for rolling
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cured ham and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the meat and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for a minute, then add the broth and bay leaf.
- Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently for about 2 hours, until the meat shreds easily with a fork. Check occasionally and add a splash more broth if it looks dry.
- Remove the meat, shred or finely chop it, then return it to the pot. Sprinkle the flour over the liquid and stir well to thicken into a thick, almost paste-like filling. Season with salt and pepper and let cool completely, even overnight in the fridge.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll each puff pastry sheet out slightly thinner than store-bought thickness. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 3 inches.
- Place a heaping tablespoon of the cooled filling on one half of each rectangle. Fold over, press the edges firmly with a fork to seal, and trim into a neat parcel shape.
- Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with beaten egg, and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes, until deeply golden and puffed.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before serving, as the filling holds heat.
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