Puerto Rican Dish With Plantains and Ground Beef

Erik Bernstein

Akin to a Puerto Rican lasagna, pastelón layers up crispy fried sweet plantains with melty mozzarella cheese and picadillo, a mix of ground beef, tomatoes, sofrito (more on that below), herbs, briny olives, and a pop of sweetness from raisins. It takes a bit to prepare all the elements, but it's worth it for this sweet and savory dish you can easily serve to a crowd. (May we suggest going with a simple side?)

Sofrito is at its most basic a blend of peppers, onions, garlic, and cilantro. Here we use bell peppers, but cubanelle peppers and aji dulce peppers are commonly added, as well as other herbs such as culantro. If you have access to culantro (not to be confused with cilantro) or the above peppers, add some into the sofrito for an-over-the-top result.

Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.

Yields: 4 servings

Prep Time: 0 hours 15 mins

Total Time: 2 hours 15 mins

For the plantains:

2 c.

canola oil

6

very ripe plantains (about 9 oz. each)

Kosher salt

For the sofrito:

1 c.

chopped yellow onion (about 7 oz.)

1 c.

chopped green bell pepper (about 6 oz.)

1 1/2 c.

fresh cilantro leaves and thin stems, roughly chopped

6

cloves garlic

For the picadillo:

2 tbsp.

canola oil

1 1/2 lb.

lean ground beef (85%)

Kosher salt

1/2 tsp.

freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp.

sweet paprika

2 tsp.

dried oregano

1 tsp.

ground cumin

3 tbsp.

tomato paste

1

(28-oz.) can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes

1 c.

water

2 tbsp.

yellow raisins

1/2 c.

pimento-stuffed manzanilla olives, thinly sliced

For the topping:

3

large eggs

2 tbsp.

whole milk

4 1/2 c.

shredded mozzarella

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Make the plantains:

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat 2 cups oil (about 1-inch) until a deep fry thermometer reads 350°. Fry plantains, working in batches (about 4 per batch), until golden and tender, flipping halfway through, about 3 minutes. Using tongs or a kitchen spider, transfer plantains to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt. Repeat with remaining plantains.
   

Make the sofrito:

1. In a food processor, pulse the onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and garlic until finely chopped.

Make the picadillo:

1. In a large, high-sided skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Scrape the sofrito into the skillet and cook, stirring often, until the mixture dries out and begins to turn golden, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the beef to the skillet with the sofrito and season with 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, paprika, oregano, and cumin. Cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat into small pieces, then stirring occasionally until beef is evenly cooked and no longer pink, about 7 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, 1 cup of water, and raisins to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the olives.
   

Make the topping:

1. Whisk the eggs with the milk and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.

Assemble the pastelón:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Arrange one-third of the plantains in an even layer (don't overlap) in the bottom of a 8"x"12 baking dish. Top with half of the picadillo and 1 ½ cups of the cheese. Repeat 1 time with another third of the plantains, the remaining picadillo, and another 1 ½ cups of the cheese.
2. Arrange the remaining third of plantains over pastelón and drizzle the egg mixture evenly over top. Sprinkle remaining 1 ½ cup cheese over top, then bake until bubbly and cheese is golden, about 40 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.
   

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Erik Bernstein

Laura Rege Recipe Developer Laura Rege is a Food Stylist and Recipe Developer who regularly contributes recipes and styles videos and photos for Delish.

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Source: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a38916355/pastelon-recipe/

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