Ingredients:
For the Meat Filling:
2 tbsp achiote oil or olive oil
1kg pork shoulder (or chicken thighs), diced
80ml sofrito
2 tsp sazon seasoning
2 tsp adobo seasoning
75g pimento stuffed olives, halved crossways

For the Masa:
225g kabocha pumpkin flesh
1kg taro corms
2 green plantains
3 green bananas
80ml sofrito
2 tsp sazon seasoning
1 tsp achiote oil or olive oil

Assembly Ingredients:
80ml achiote oil
500g banana leaves
parchment paper sheets, cut into large squares
cooking twine

Method:

For the filling: heat the achiote oil over medium heat in a pot before adding the diced pork or chicken. Add the sofrito and cook for a few minutes before adding seasonings and olives and sautéing until the pork is cooked through. Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt.

Take 125ml of the liquid stock from the meat filling and set aside. Once the meat has cooled, store in your refrigerator in an air-tight container until ready to use.

For the masa: note that if you prefer, wear gloves during this stage as the ingredients will, almost certainly, stain your hands. Peel the pumpkin, yautia or taro, plantains, and bananas. Grate all of the peeled veggies with a box grater or food processor before blending in a food processor. Season to taste then mix in the reserved stock from the meat filling. Also mix in the sofrito, sazon, and achiote oil. Stir well, until evenly distributed. Store in an air tight container your refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble the pasteles: Start with a piece of the parchment paper at the base and layer a banana leaf on top. Brush the leaf with achiote oil before spreading about 120ml of the masa in a oval shape at the centre of the leaf, flattening with a spatula. Top with a couple spoonfuls of the meat filling.

Pull the banana leaf and parchment paper up on one side and fold in half, enclosing the filling entirely. Fold the paper (and leaf) in until they meet the masa and filling at the centre, sealing the pastele tightly. Fold the empty space at both edges of the leaf in as well.

Tie two pasteles together with a long piece of cooking twine both vertically and horizontally (like you would tie a bow on a gift) to hold everything in. Repeat these steps until all the filling or masa runs out.

If saving to cook later, store in an air tight container or bag and freeze. If cooking immediately, add to a pot of boiling salted water, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Carefully remove from the water with tongs.
Unwrap.

Carefully unwrap the pasteles (being careful to not burn yourself) and serve with pique or ketchup.