Pastelón Recipe By Tasty Food

PASTELóN RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• To the bowl of a food processor, add the cilantro, culantro, onion, red and green bell peppers, garlic, oregano, and cumin. Pulse until combined. The sofrito should have the consistency of a tapenade.
• Heat ¼ cup (60 ml) of canola oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sofrito and fry, stirring constantly, until deepened in color but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the olives to the pan and stir to combine.
• Add the ground beef to the pan and cook until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Season with the ½ teaspoon salt.
• Add 1 teaspoon of adobo seasoning, the Sazón seasoning, and the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed into the meat, about 7 minutes. Transfer the beef mixture to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon, discarding any excess liquid. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and set aside.
• Peel the plantains, cut in half crosswise, then slice each half lengthwise to get 4 thin slices.
• Heat the remaining cup of canola oil in the same pan over medium-high heat until the oil starts to shimmer. Test one plantain slice in the oil--if it bubbles and sizzles, the oil is ready.
• Fry the plantains in batches until they are lightly browned on the edges and tender in the centers, 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally with a fork. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Season on both sides with salt.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Arrange a single layer of plantains in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Using a slotted spoon, top with about half of the meat mixture. Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella over the meat sauce. Repeat with more plantains, the remaining meat sauce, and another cup of mozzarella. Finish with the remaining plantains.
• In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the remaining teaspoon of adobo seasoning.
• Pour the egg mixture over the plantains, then cover the baking dish with foil.
• Bake the pastelón until the eggs are set and the cheese is bubbly, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and turn the oven to broil. Uncover the dish and sprinkle the remaining cup of mozzarella over the top. Broil for 5 minutes, or until cheese on top is golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
• Enjoy!

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 (PUERTO RICAN LAYERED CASSEROLE)

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef; cook and stir until browned on the outside and no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes. Remove meat from pan; drain fat.
• Place tomato sauce, sofrito, green olives, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, recao, and oregano in the skillet. Cook and stir over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Return ground beef to skillet; reduce to a simmer. Cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes more.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• Pour oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry plantain slices until golden, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
• Beat eggs thoroughly in a bowl; add 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Line the bottom of the baking pan with half the plantains, overlapping as needed. Layer ground beef mixture, green beans, and remaining plantains; pour eggs on top. Top with mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until eggs are set and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes.

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.

PASTELES RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the bell pepper purée: Add the bell peppers, garlic, onion, and cilantro to a food processor or blender and purée until well combined. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. Wipe out the food processor.
• Make the masa: Add the green plantains to the food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the kabocha squash, yautía blanca, and ripe plantains and process until completely smooth; this may take 5-10 minutes. Add the milk, salt, and butter and continue blending until well incorporated. Transfer to a bowl.
• Make the annatto oil: In a small saucepan, combine the achiote powder and olive oil. Warm over medium-low heat until the oil begins to shimmer slightly, whisking to ensure the achiote doesn't burn. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand for 1 minute.
• Add 1-2 teaspoons of the annatto oil to the masa mixture and stir to incorporate. Cover the masa with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use. Set the remaining annatto oil aside.
• Make the spiced ground beef: In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the ginger, chiles, and red onion. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the coriander and za'atar. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the spices are toasted and fragrant.
• Increase the heat to medium and add the ground beef. Season with the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt and the pepper. Cook the beef is until browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes.
• Stir in the reserved bell pepper purée and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Simmer for 15 minutes until the flavors have melded, adding chicken stock as needed if the mixture gets too dry--some bubbling liquid should always be visible.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the ground beef into a bowl, then cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use. Discard any excess liquid.
• Assemble the pasteles: Gather the banana leaves, annatto oil, masa, ground beef mixture, kitchen twine, offset spatula, and pastry brush, and set near a large, clean work surface.
• Heat a griddle or flat grill pan over medium-high heat. Working gently and carefully, lightly press one of the banana leaves onto the griddle with a kitchen towel. The leaf should quickly change color in the area where it meets the griddle. Rotate and repeat until the entire leaf has changed color and is hot and pliable.
• Place the banana leaf in the center of the work surface with the veins running horizontally. Brush the leaf with annatto oil. Scoop 4 tablespoons of masa onto the bottom center of the leaf. Scoop 3 tablespoons of ground beef into the center of the masa. Fold the bottom of the banana leaf up and over the filling to meet the top of the leaf, then fold the top of the leaf back over the center. Gently fold in the sides. Tie with twine to secure. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to form 16 pasteles total.
• Bring 2 large pots filled halfway with water to a boil, then salt generously.
• Lay the pasteles in the pots, being careful not to overcrowd, and cook for 30 minutes.
• Let the pasteles rest for 5-10 minutes before unwrapping. The pasteles can also be wrapped and frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
• Enjoy!

PASTELóN DE AMARILLOS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rub the inside of a 9-inch square baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Set aside.
• Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the ground beef and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and a few cracks of pepper. Cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the peppers are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, capers, olives and brine, oregano, if using, and almost all of the cilantro (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish). Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sauce is thickened and reduced slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, to fry the plantain strips, heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. Heat until the oil until it reaches 325 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer or it bubbles when it comes in contact with a wooden spoon.
• Fry the plantain strips in batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain the plantain strips on paper towels and add a pinch of salt while they are still warm. Set aside.
• To assemble the pastelón, first add half of the egg mixture to the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Next, layer a third of the plantain strips to cover the bottom. Evenly spread half of the meat sauce over the layer of plantains. Sprinkle 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella over the meat sauce. Next, add a second layer of fried plantain strips, followed by the remaining meat sauce spread evenly. Finally, top the meat sauce with the remaining plantains strips and pour the remaining egg mixture over the whole dish, using a pastry brush or spoon to spread along evenly. Sprinkle the rest of the shredded mozzarella evenly on top. Top with the reserved 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro plus a few cracks of pepper for garnish.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is completely melted and beginning to brown, another 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

PINON PASTELON LASAGNE ROLL-UPS

Steps:

• For the tofu ricotta: Press the tofu between two plates lined with paper towels for 20 to 30 minutes. Alternatively, wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel and press it under a heavy plate for 20 minutes to 1 hour. Combine the tofu, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, miso and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Process until the tofu is smooth but with a slightly crumbly texture.
• For the piñon pastelón roll-ups: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 7-by-11-inch casserole dish with 2 tablespoons of the oil and set aside.
• Brush each plantain slice with the remaining oil and place side by side on a baking sheet. Bake until the bottoms of the plantains are caramelized and golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Flip the plantains with tongs and bake 5 more minutes, then remove from the oven and decrease the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• Choose the 4 longest slices each of zucchini and yellow squash, place them on a wire rack and sprinkle with salt. This will release the excess moisture. Reserve the remaining slices for another use.
• For the sazón tempeh mushroom Bolognese: While the plantains bake, tie the thyme, sage and bay leaves in a bundle with kitchen twine or cheesecloth to create a bouquet garni. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the tempeh and cook, stirring occasionally and adding more oil if the skillet is dry, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the carrots, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sazón, oregano and paprika. Stir to combine, add the wine, scraping the bottom of the skillet, and cook until almost reduced, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, then season with salt and pepper.
• Nestle the bouquet garni into the sauce and simmer until all of the flavors become incorporated, 7 to 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper, as needed. Remove and discard the bouquet garni.
• For assembling and serving: Cover the bottom of the prepared casserole dish with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the Bolognese.
• Stack 1 plantain slice on 1 zucchini slice. Scoop 2 tablespoons of the tofu ricotta, draining any excess liquid, onto the center of the stack. Roll up tightly and place in the casserole dish with the filling exposed on top. Repeat, alternating the squash and zucchini for stacking with the plantain, until the casserole dish is filled. (Fitting the roll-ups snugly in the dish should help them hold their shape; otherwise you can use toothpicks to secure them.) Top with another 2 cups of the Bolognese and sprinkle with the cheese. Reserve any remaining Bolognese for serving or for another use.
• Bake until the zucchini and squash are fork tender, about 25 minutes, rotating the dish halfway through. Sprinkle the cilantro on the roll-ups and serve with a spatula.

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!

PASTELON

Steps:

• Cut plantains in strips (moving in a horizontal direction).
• In a pan, with heated oil, fry plantains in low heat until done.
• In another pan, add sofrito, tomato sauce, meat, sazon, and oregano.
• When plantains are done and after cooling, press plantains with a fork until flat.
• Grease a baking pan (size up to cook's discretion) and arrange the first layer of plantain strips.
• Beat eggs and pour half the mix over.
• When meat is ready, add meat over plantain layer.
• Add a second layer of plantain strips.
• Pour remaining beaten eggs.
• Bake at 350° until egg mixture is no longer watery.