Pork and Pea Pastizzi Recipe

Get creative in the kitchen and whip up our delectable Pork and Pea Pastizzi recipe for your next feast. A pastizz is a traditional pastry from Malta, usually filled with curried peas or other savory fillings. We’ve put a spin on the well-known Maltese food and combined it with mouthwatering pork. 

We recommend using pork shoulder in this recipe, it’s a wonderfully versatile cut that is perfect for slow cooking to make tender and juicy pork. 

Makes: 30-40 pastizzi

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cooking Time: 6 hours

Ingredients for Pastizzi:

• 20 sheets of phyllo pastry
• 1kg boneless pork shoulder
• 150g frozen peas
• Handful of dried mint
• 100g flaked almonds (toasted)

Ingredients for spice paste:

• 10 whole cloves
• 3 star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 250ml soy sauce
• 60ml fish sauce
• 55g brown sugar
• 2 tbsp baharat or Lebanese seven spice
• 1 tbsp minced garlic

How to cook our Pork and Pea Pastizzi recipe:

1. To prepare for the dish, it is recommended that you marinate the pork shoulder overnight in the spice paste to enhance the flavour and juiciness. Combine all the ingredients for the spice paste in a food processor and grind until you create a smooth paste. Rub the spice paste over the pork shoulder, cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat your oven to 160°C. Place the pork shoulder with the spice paste in an oven-proof casserole dish. Next, cover the pork shoulder with room temperature water and place the lid on top. Cook in the oven for 4-5 hours until the pork shoulder is tender and falling apart. Once tender, remove the pork from the dish and allow it to cool on a separate tray.
3. Add extra flavour by straining the braising liquid through a fine sieve into a medium saucepan. Cook the braising liquid over a high heat for 30-40 minutes until reduced to a glaze-like consistency.
4. Bring peas to the boil and strain when they’re tender to the touch.
5. Shred the pork shoulder once it’s cooled. Add the reduced sauce, peas, dried mint and almonds to the pork. Combine to mix well and then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
6. Cut a pastry sheet in half and make a small pocket out of the pastry resembling a small, shallow bowl. FIll pastry with a generous tablespoon of filling and then fold edges firmly to seal to form a semicircle. Swiftly and gently, pull on either end of the pastry, elongating the pastry to form a classic pastizzi shape. Transfer pastizzi to an oven tray lined with baking paper. Repeat until you’ve used all of your pastry sheets and pork filling. 
7. Preheat your oven to 220°C and cook the pastizzi for 12-15 minutes (or until golden brown). Once cooked, serve plain or with a variety of sauces.

Pendle Hill Meat Market is proud to be one of Australia’s largest meat markets. We offer competitive pricing on a large variety of high quality Australian meats. Shop online or visit us in-store, we would be glad to help you put this delicious meal together. We also offer delivery or click & collect.