Pastel de Choclo (Beef and Corn Casserole)

Name: Pastel de Choclo (Beef and Corn Casserole)
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels; 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk; 1/2 cup evaporated milk; 1/4 cup neutral oil; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal); 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne; 2 1/4 cups/8 ounces shredded low-moisture mozzarella; 1 tablespoon neutral oil; 1 pound lean ground beef (preferably 10 percent fat); Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped; 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 2 teaspoons hot paprika; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1/2 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, roughly chopped; 1/4 cup raisins

By Ham El-Waylly

Updated April 28, 2023

Pastel de Choclo (Beef and Corn Casserole) — Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 4(427)
Comments: Read comments

Pastel de choclo is found in many different forms throughout South America — cake made with corn, baked corn pudding or a layered casserole. This recipe is inspired by the Chilean version, a beef-and-corn casserole, which consists of pino, a flavorful beef mixture often studded with black olives, raisins and hard-boiled eggs, topped with corn pudding. It’s reminiscent of shepherd’s pie, but with rich corn pudding in place of mashed potatoes. In this interpretation, the pudding is slightly sweet and cheesy, the way my mom Silvia used to make it. It also swaps out black olives for meatier Castelvetrano olives, and frozen corn can be used when fresh is out of season. The pudding is mixed entirely in the blender and can be baked on its own as a rich, cheesy side dish in a well-greased cast-iron pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

For the Corn Pudding

1pound fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
½cup sweetened condensed milk
½cup evaporated milk
¼cup neutral oil
1large egg
1teaspoon baking powder
1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1teaspoon ground black pepper
¼teaspoon ground cayenne
2¼cups/8 ounces shredded low-moisture mozzarella

For the Pino

1tablespoon neutral oil
1pound lean ground beef (preferably 10 percent fat)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1medium yellow onion, finely chopped
6garlic cloves, finely chopped
2teaspoons hot paprika
2teaspoons ground cumin
½cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, roughly chopped
¼cup raisins

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2
Prepare the corn pudding: In a blender, combine the corn, condensed milk, evaporated milk, oil, egg, baking powder, salt, pepper and cayenne; blend until most of the kernels are liquified. (Do not blend until the mixture is completely smooth; you are looking for some texture.) Stir in the mozzarella with a spatula.
Step 3
Prepare the pino: Heat a medium, oven-safe skillet over medium-high. Add the oil and ground beef, season with a large pinch of salt, and cook, occasionally stirring, until ground beef is deeply brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a sturdy wooden spoon or whisk to break up the meat as it cooks. Drain off any excess fat and return to heat.
Step 4
Add the onion and cook, occasionally stirring, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with another pinch of salt. Add the garlic, paprika and cumin, and cook, constantly stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the olives and raisins; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add ½ cup of water and scrape up any bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a simmer and taste again. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
Step 5
Spread the beef mixture into an even layer and spread the corn mixture on top, spreading it out to cover the beef mixture evenly. Bake until the top is golden brown and feels firm to the touch, 45 to 55 minutes. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving in shallow bowls.

Ratings

4 out of 5

427 user ratings

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Comments

Cecilia Hayes2 years ago

At last Chilean cuisine has made it to the NYT! This version has two ingredients that I don't use in my recipe, and I'm from Chile. Cheese and sweet condensed milk. The golden raisins and sprinkle sugar on top before baking add a hint of sweet. The recipe also works with chicken. Thank you for the treat!

claudia2 years ago

This popular Chilean dish does not include sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk. Maybe a little milk if the corn mixture is too thick. You may want to sprinkle some sugar on the top before baking. Olives are black, never green. Some people will also add a piece of chicken on top of the meat mixture (pino).

Mary Smith2 years ago

What do the Chileans do with the rest of the canned milks? Recipes that create left over ingredients are a problem for me.

Pauli Zapata2 days ago

I'm a big fan of Chilean cuisine, mainly because I'm Chilean myself. As mentioned before, the traditional recipe does not include condensed milk. I think evaporated milk could work as a substitute for regular milk. Another way to cook this dish is by pre-cooking the corn pudding until golden and adding some freshly chopped basil to the mixture. For the pino, I suggest using oregano, as well as paprika and a little bit of cumin (just a pinch of the latter). I'm very honored to find this recipe :)

Sean M1 week ago

I love the part where it says it takes an hour to make and you need to bake it for 55 minutes.

Lucy J3 weeks ago

the recipe doesn't specify what size pan to use, whicxh will make a big difference on the time of cooking. Does anyone know?

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