Chile | Pastel de Choclo

Unlike many countries in the world, Chile stretches over 2,600 miles from north to south — giving diversity to the country’s cuisine depending on how close or far you are from the equator. Since Chile is so narrow, seafood makes up for most of the cuisine; especially on the southern coast near Patagonia.

Pastel de choclo is a Chilean comfort food consisting of a maize (or “choclo”) crust filled with ground beef, onions, shredded chicken, and hardboiled eggs. Olives, though originating in Europe, are widely used in South America and are seen in this dish as well. It is traditionally baked in a an earthenware bowl called paila, but I used my Field Company No. 10 cast iron skillet and it was the perfect size for the recipe that I used below. The meal is delicious and it is very well balanced — savory from the cumin ground beef, sweet from the raisins and the corn crust, and really unique textures from the hard-boiled egg and shredded chicken.

Chile, for many years, has been a country of interest to me. Hiking Torres Del Paine in the south or bathing in thermal baths in San Pedro de Atacama in the north. The country’s terrain is unlike anywhere else and that is also reflected in their food. If you ever find yourself in the capital city of Santiago, be sure to set aside some extra cash to check out the fourth best restaurant in Latin America, Boragó founded by chef Rodolfo Guzmán. The restaurant uses local Chilean ingredients from milking their own cows to harvesting fresh mountain water from Patagonia.

Boragó | https://www.borago.cl/index.html#

Ingredients Needed: 

  • 3 to 4 medium onions (chopped)

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef

  • 2 teaspoons cumin

  • 2 teaspoons salt (divided)

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

  • 3 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)

  • 1 cup whole milk (divided)

  • 1/4 cup butter

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 2 tablespoons basil (finely chopped)

  • 1/2 cup raisins

  • 1/3 cup chopped black olives

  • 3 hard-boiled eggs (sliced or chopped)

  • 1 cup roasted chicken (shredded)

Cooking Instructions:

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Sauté the onions in the vegetable oil until soft and translucent - 5 minutes.

  3. Add the ground beef, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the beef is crumbled and browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

  4. Place the corn kernels in a food processor or blender with 1/4 cup milk. Process for 1 to 2 minutes, until the corn is blended and appears creamy.

  5. Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a large saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon salt, sugar, and the blended corn mixture.

  6. Add the remaining 3/4 cup milk and simmer, constantly stirring, until the mixture thickens about 5 to 10 minutes.

  7. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped fresh basil.

  8. Preheat oven to 375 F.

  9. Drain the liquid from the browned beef mixture.

  10. Place the ground beef mixture in the bottom of a 3- to 4-quart casserole dish.

  11. Sprinkle the raisins, olives, and hardboiled eggs over the beef, then layer the chicken on top.

  12. Spread the corn mixture over the top of the casserole so that it covers the rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle the powdered sugar on top.

  13. Bake the casserole in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until the filling is bubbling hot and the corn mixture is golden brown.

  14. Serve warm.

Recipe by: The Spruce Eats



Jack Hatzfeld