Pastelón De Plátano Maduro Ripe Plantain Casserole Food

PASTELóN (PUERTO RICAN PLANTAIN "LASAGNA")

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F: Lightly grease a 10x10 casserole dish (for a thicker pastelón) or 9x13 casserole dish (for a thinner pastelón) with nonstick cooking spray or butter.

PASTELóN

Steps:

• Prepare the plantains: Line a sheet pan with paper towels; set aside. Cut off the ends of each plantain. With the tip of a knife, score plantains lengthwise and peel off the skin. Using a serrated knife or chef's knife, cut each plantain in half lengthwise, and then halve again lengthwise so you end up with 24 long slices. (If some of the slices break or are unevenly shaped, that's OK! Carry on.)
• In a large cast-iron or heavy skillet, heat 1 cup oil over medium-high to between 350 and 375 degrees. Working with 4 to 6 slices at a time, depending on what fits, fry plantains until deep golden brown, turning halfway through, about 6 minutes total. Transfer fried plantains to the prepared sheet pan and cook remaining plantains; set aside. (Let oil cool, then strain and reserve for another use.)
• Prepare the sofrito: Put onion, bell pepper, ají dulce chiles (if using), garlic, cilantro and culantro (if using), in a food processor; blend until it becomes a rough, wet purée. (You should have about 1 cup sofrito).
• Prepare the picadillo: In a large, heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium until it shimmers. Add the sofrito and cook, stirring often, until purée thickens and starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the beef and stir in the salt, pepper, cumin, paprika and oregano. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is evenly cooked and no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Turn off heat. Push meat mixture to one side, and carefully tilt skillet so that the fat from the meat collects at the bottom of the tilted pan; spoon off and discard as much of this excess fat as you can.
• Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the chopped tomatoes, wine and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes fall apart and the liquid starts to reduce, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in olives and raisins, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Picadillo can be made up to 2 days in advance. Rewarm it in a pan on the stove before proceeding with recipe.)
• Prepare the pastelón: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with butter. Whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt and set aside.
• Lay half the fried plantain slices along the bottom of the baking dish crosswise, piecing any broken pieces together to form an even layer. (If there are small gaps in the plantain layer, this is OK.) Top with half the picadillo (about 2 cups), smoothing it into an even layer, then sprinkle half the cheese on top in an even layer. Repeat with another layer of plantains then the remaining picadillo. Pour the whisked eggs evenly over the picadillo layer and spread it so it settles down into the pastelón. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
• Bake the pastelón until the egg is cooked, the cheese is melted and the layers are set, 20 to 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve hot.

PASTELON DE PLATANO MADURO (DOMINICAN-STYLE YELLOW PLANTAIN PIE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
• Place plantains and salt into a large pot and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until plantains turn a darker yellow; add 1 cup water to the pot, bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.
• Mash plantains, milk, and butter together in the pot until smooth.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir ground beef, onion, bell pepper, tomato sauce, garlic, and chicken bouillon, adding water if mixture gets too dry, in hot oil until beef is browned and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Spread 1/2 of the mashed plantains into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour meat mixture over the plantains and top with Cheddar cheese. Spread remaining mashed plantains over the cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until plantains are golden and filling is bubbling, about 10 minutes.

PASTELON DE PLATANOS MADUROS

Steps:

• Heat dash of oil, sofrito, Sazon, onion and garlic on medium heat until well sauteed.
• Add ground beef and tomato sauce and stir until well cooked, but not dry.
• Drain any grease.
• Make sure ground beef is well ground (that it has no chunks).
• Add corn and string beans to mixture.
• Add cheese to picadillo (ground beef), if using, it helps to bind the meat together.
• Peel and slice plantains lengthwise.
• If the plantains are large, you'll probably get about three-four lengths per plantain.
• Saute plantain slices in medium-hot oil for a few mintues, flipping halfway through cooking.
• Set slices on paper toweled tray or use a brown garbage bag, and allow the oil to be absorbed; and pat dry.
• Layer plantains along bottom of greased 9x9 pan.
• Pour two eggs, beaten, over bottom layer.
• Top with ground beef layer.
• Repeat plantain and beef layers, making sure the plantain layer is the top.
• Optional cheese layer on top.
• Cook in 350ºF oven for about 35 minutes, making sure eggs are cooked and not watery.
• ENJOY!