Pastelon
Jun 20, 2022
This dish has both Puerto Rican & Dominican roots. Originally called pastel horneado (baked pie) it was not made with cheese. It is believed that mid-century when Puerto Ricans mingled with Italians in NYC the dish evolved into a Latin version of Lasagnas, which is where cheese was added to the recipe as well. The new version was introduced to the Island of Puerto Rico and has continued to involve over the years.
This recipe from Irma appears in Episode 1 of Season 1 of The Great American Recipe.
This recipe from Irma appears in Episode 1 of Season 1 of The Great American Recipe.
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Prep time
- 30 minutes
- Total time
- 120 minutes
- Course
- Side Dish
Tags
Ingredients
- Salted butter, for greasing
- 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- 5–6 sweet ripe plantains
- 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup sofrito
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1⁄4 cup olive brine (from jarred olives), or to taste 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground annatto (achiote powder)
- 1⁄8 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 11⁄2 pounds ground beef
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 x 8-inch or 9 x 9-inch baking pan with butter.
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Peel and slice your plantains: first, cut off both ends of each plantain. Then, with the tip of your knife, cut a shallow slice down the length of the plantain. Remove the peels by hand. Cut the plantains in half crosswise and then slice lengthwise into thin strips.
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Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the plantains until they are golden brown, turning them over halfway through, about 5-6 minutes total. Set them aside on paper towels to drain. Wipe out the skillet.
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Add the olive oil, and heat. Add the sofrito, allowing it to simmer about one minute or until aromatic, then add the tomato sauce, olive brine, oregano, coriander, garlic powder, onion powder, annatto, turmeric, salt, and pepper to the skillet and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, then add the beef and cook over medium-high heat until the beef is browned. Again, taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the pan from the heat.
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Make a layer of plantains in the prepared baking pan, top with some cheese, then add some of the ground beef and sauce. Repeat the layers until all the ingredients are used up, ending with a layer of cheese.
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Whisk the eggs in a small bowl. Pour the eggs over the top of the pastelon; it will soak through as a binding agent. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Let cool for a bit, then slice and serve.
