Flavorful Pionono Food

PIONONOS

Steps:

• For the picadillo: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the onions are translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the ground beef and break up the meat with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tomato paste, adobo, sazón and tomato sauce until combined. Season with salt and pepper and cook, continuing to break up the meat until it is browned, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Finally, add the cilantro and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
• For the plantains: Pour 1 inch of oil into a large saute pan or deep large skillet and place over medium-high heat. Line a plate with paper towels.
• Using a sharp knife, trim off both ends of a plantain. Slit a thin line down the plantain, cutting just through the skin, and peel back the skin to remove it. Repeat with the remaining plantains. Slice each plantain lengthwise into 5 to 6 strips.
• Fry the plantains 2 or 3 strips at a time until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining strips.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan. Line the sides of the muffin cups with the longer plantain strips, then use trimmed pieces to cover the bottoms of the muffin cups.
• Spoon the picadillo into the plantain-lined muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Top each with a spoonful of the beaten eggs to help them hold together.
• Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Use a knife to loosen the edges before removing the piononos from the muffin cups. Serve hot or warm.

LOBSTER PIONONO

Steps:

• For the plantains: Cut off ends and peel plantain. Slice lengthwise at 1/4-inch intervals. Pan fry lightly on both sides then drain on paper towels. While warm, curve one end to the other and pinch to form circles.
• For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a large saute pan, and saute lobster, sofrito, and tomato. Add the tomato juice and let simmer for 10 minutes. Finish with cilantro, salt and pepper. Add bread crumbs and stir until mixture is thick enough to spoon into the plantain "shells". Chill the mixture over an ice bath.
• To finish the pionono, fill round plantain "shells" with lobster mixture. Preheat 1/4-inch of vegetable oil in a saute pan. Dredge piononos through flour then beaten egg. Pan fry until brown on 1 side, then turn over and finish cooking in the oven for 10 minutes.