Piononos Food

FRIED PLANTAINS WITH SPICED BEEF: PIONONOS

Steps:

• In a saute pan, melt butter and oil and saute plantains until golden brown. Remove and place on absorbent paper and season with salt and pepper
• Add more oil, if needed, to saute pan and when it is hot, add onions, peppers, and garlic, and saute until onions become translucent.
• Add meat and saute until meat crumbles and browns.
• Add tomatoes and season lightly. Cook until meat is tender or about 10 more minutes. If meat releases too much moisture, dust with flour and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
• Remove from stove, add the olives and capers, and season with vinegar Mix well and adjust seasonings as needed.
• Heat a 6-inch non-stick omelet pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil. When hot, add 3 to 4 ounces of meat mixture to pan and heat thoroughly.
• Pour about 6 ounces (2 beaten eggs) over meat mixture in the pan to make a sort of omelet. Reduce heat to low-medium to allow egg to cook evenly. When "omelet" is firm, flip it over and let cook until firm on the other side.
• Remove pan from heat and slide "omelet" out of pan onto a clean cutting board. Using a 6-inch round metal cutter, cut a neat circle out of the cooked egg. Using an offset metal spatula, place any scrap pieces cut from the egg onto the center of a heated dinner plate. Carefully place the circle of egg on top. Make a criss-cross of fried plantains on top of egg. Continue making "omelets" until all the mixture and eggs are used. Serve immediately.

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.

PIONONOS

Steps:

• Slice plantains lengthwise into 8 strips. Fry in vegetable oil until golden & remove. Add olive oil & stir in sirloin. Add next 3 ingredients & stir. Add remaining ingredients except eggs & cook 4 minutes.
• Coil plantains into 3" circles & secure with toothpicks. Pack centers with meat mixture to make firm patties. Coat patties with beaten eggs & deep fry until golden brown.
• Serve with rice & salsa.

PIONONOS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Cut ends from plantains and peel fruit. Cut each plantain lengthwise into 4 slices. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté slices in batches, without crowding, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes on each side (use 2 spatulas to turn slices). With a spatula transfer plantains as sautéed to brown paper to drain. When plantains are cool enough to handle, shape each slice into a ring, with ends overlapping by about 1 inch, and secure ends with a wooden pick. Arrange rings, without touching, in a large baking dish and fill centers with black beans.
• Bake rolls in middle of oven until beans are heated through, about 10 minutes. Mound Monterey Jack on top of beans and bake until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.