Catibías

Ingredients

Dough

• 500 gcassava flour, catibía
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 2 tablespoonsoil or lard
• about 300 ml warm water
• 1 teaspoonannatto or paprika, for colour

Filling

• 400 gminced beef
• 1onion, finely chopped
• 1green pepper, chopped
• 3garlic cloves, crushed
• 2tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoontomato paste
• 1 teaspoondried oregano
• 1stock cube
• 2 tablespoonsoil
• salt and black pepper
• a handful of chopped coriander

To fry

• oil, for deep frying

To serve

• hot sauce
• lime wedges

Directions

1. Warm water helps it come together. Do not expect it to behave like pastry dough. Put the cassava flour and salt in a bowl. Add the annatto or paprika for colour. Rub in the oil or lard with your fingers. Add the warm water in gradually. Mix it with your hand as you pour. Bring it together into a soft dough. Knead it briefly to bring it together. It should be soft and smooth to the touch.
2. Press a piece flat between your palms. If the edges crack badly, add more warm water. Let it rest for fifteen minutes covered. Making the filling is done first. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Fry the chopped onion and pepper for six minutes.
3. Add the crushed garlic and cook for one minute. Add the minced beef and break it up. Brown it thoroughly over a high heat. Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste. Add the oregano and crumble in the stock cube.
4. Season it well with salt and black pepper. Let it cook down for about fifteen minutes. It must end up dry rather than saucy. Cook it uncovered until the liquid has gone. Stir in the chopped coriander at the end. Let it cool completely before you use it.
5. Warm filling makes the fragile dough go slack. Shaping them takes some patience. Take a ball of dough about the size of an egg. Set it between two sheets of plastic.
6. Press it flat with a plate or a rolling pin. Aim for a round about three millimetres thick. Peel off the top sheet of plastic. Put a spoonful of cold filling on one half. Leave a clear border around the edge. Do not overfill them or they burst.
7. Use the bottom plastic sheet to fold it over. That way you never touch the fragile dough. Press the edges together firmly. Seal them well with no gaps at all. Crimp the sealed edge with a fork. Patch any cracks with a little wet dough. Set each one on a floured tray. Frying them needs the right heat.
8. Pour oil into a deep pan to six centimetres. Never fill a pan more than halfway with oil. Heat the oil to about 180C for frying. A scrap of dough should sizzle up at once.
9. Fry them for about three minutes. Turn them once as they colour. They should be golden and blistered. Lift them onto a wire rack to drain. A rack keeps the underside crisp. Serve hot sauce and lime alongside. They are sold hot from roadside stands.

Technique

• Catibia is the Dominican word for cassava flour, and the name of the flour became the name of the pastry made with it.
• Cassava flour is the whole dried ground root and behaves quite differently from tapioca starch, which is the extracted pure starch.

Substitutions

• Cassava flour is essential here, and tapioca starch will not work in its place.
• Chicken, cheese or beans all work as fillings in place of beef.

Variations

• A cheese-filled version is common at roadside stands.
• Some cooks colour the dough more heavily with annatto.
• Wheat empanadas are also sold across the Dominican Republic.

History

A Dominican Taíno-descended pastry using yuca flour rather than wheat, sold at roadside stands.

Frequently asked questions

What is Catibías?

Catibías is a snack from Dominican Republic: empanadas made with cassava flour, filled with seasoned meat and fried. A Dominican Taíno-descended pastry using yuca flour rather than wheat, sold at roadside stands.

How long does Catibías take to make?

Catibías takes 45 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 20 pastries. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Catibías?

Yes, within limits. Cassava flour is essential here, and tapioca starch will not work in its place. Chicken, cheese or beans all work as fillings in place of beef.

What is the most important thing to get right in Catibías?

Warm water helps it come together. Do not expect it to behave like pastry dough. Put the cassava flour and salt in a bowl. Add the annatto or paprika for colour. Rub in the oil or lard with your fingers. Add the warm water in gradually. Mix it with your hand as you pour. Bring it together into a soft dough. Knead it briefly to bring it together. It should be soft and smooth to the touch.