Plantain Picadillo Pie With Cheese Food

PLANTAINS STUFFED WITH PICADILLO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
• Cut off both ends of each plantain, then remove and discard the peels. Place the plantains on the baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray. Bake the plantains for 15 minutes, then turn them over and bake until the plantains are lightly golden brown and tender, an additional 15 minutes. Allow to rest at room temperature.
• Meanwhile, clip a deep-frying thermometer onto a large, heavy-bottomed skillet. Heat 1 1/2 inches (about 2 1/2 cups) vegetable oil to 375 degrees F.
• Fry the plantains in batches until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels to cool.
• Heat the remaining 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, then stir and cook another 2 minutes. Add the ground beef, olives, poblano chile and some salt and cook, breaking up the meat, until the meat is entirely browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes with the reserved juices, cumin, paprika, garlic powder and some salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Fold in half the Cotija, then stir to melt and set aside.
• Cut a slit in each of the plantains running the long way. Divide the picadillo chili among the plantains. Sprinkle the tops with remaining Cotija. Garnish with the cilantro and serve.

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.

PLANTAIN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Reserve 1 Tbsp. onions for garnish; set aside. Combine cream cheese and remaining onions until well blended.
• Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add plantains; cook 7 to 10 min. or until golden, turning frequently. Layer half of the plantains in 9-inch pie plate or baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Spread cream cheese mixture over plantains; sprinkle with 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Top with remaining plantains and shredded cheese.
• Bake 20 min. or until cheese is bubbly and melted. Sprinkle with reserved 1 Tbsp. onions.

SWEET PLANTAIN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter a baking dish.
• Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the ground pork and cooked ham in the hot oil until the pork is completely cooked and no longer pink, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside, reserving 2 tablespoons of the drippings in the skillet.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low. Place the skillet over the heat and add the sofrito; cook and stir the sofrito for 5 minutes. Add the olives, capers, salt, garlic powder, oregano, and tomato sauce to the sofrito; cook and stir another 5 minutes. Return the ground pork and ham to the skillet and stir; simmer for 15 minutes, stirring a few times while it cooks.
• Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Rinse the plantains and cut off their tips, leaving the skin on; cut each plantain into 2 to 3 segments each about 3 inches long. Cook the plantains in the boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes; drain and peel. Put the peeled plantains in a mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add the softened butter and sugar; mix.
• Spread about half of the plantain mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer the meat mixture over the plantains. Top with the remaining plantain mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush the top with the melted butter and continue baking until the top is browned, about 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and allow to rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing to serve.

PLANTAIN PICADILLO PIE WITH CHEESE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Heat oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add plantain slices and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer slices to sheet of foil. Pat plantains with paper towels and cool. Reserve 2 tablespoons oil from skillet for filling.
• Line 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish with single layer of cooled plantains; reserve remaining for garnish. Using fingers, firmly press slices together to seal any gaps. Set crust aside.
• For filling:
• Heat reserved 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add beef and sauté until brown, breaking into small pieces with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, raisins, green olives, oregano, cinnamon, cumin, and allspice and simmer until most liquid evaporates and filling is thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in cornmeal.
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Crumble half of queso fresco over crust, then spoon in picadillo filling and press to compact. Sprinkle evenly with remaining queso fresco. Bake pie until cheese is melted and filling is heated through, about 25 minutes. Garnish center of pie with sliced olives and some plantain slices. Cool 10 minutes and serve.
• *Queso fresco, also known as queso blanco, is available at some supermarkets and Latin markets. A mild feta cheese can be substituted.