Pastelón Recipes

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.

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 (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.

PASTEL PUERTORRIQUENO

Steps:

• Saute peppers, onion, and tomato in olive oil until soft, then add in tomato paste, cilantro, and garlic to make a sofrito. Cook until soft and caramelized, at least 10 minutes.
• In food processor, grind the malanga and bananas with the milk, and then add the sofrito. Continue to grind until very smooth. Add cornstarch and mix until fully incorporated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Cut banana leaves into 4 (8 by 11-inch) pieces. Place a spoonful of this mixture into the middle of the banana leaf and then divide the olives, raisins, and ham into equal parts and place these on top of the pasteles. Wrap like an envelope and tie with a string. Boil for 45 minutes.

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.

PUERTO RICAN SHEPHERD PIE (PASTELON)

Steps:

• To make sofrito: Place the onion, bell pepper, parsley, cilantro, culantro, garlic, and water into a blender. Cover, and puree until smooth. Pour mixture into a bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the ground beef. Cook and stir until the beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Stir in 2 tablespoons of sofrito into the beef, then season with sazon, pepper, and adobo. Drain and discard any excess grease; set aside.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat a skillet over medium heat. Arrange the plantains in the skillet and pan fry until golden and softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Layer half of the plantains in a deep baking dish, making sure to cover the entire bottom of the dish. Pour 4 beaten eggs over the plantains, then spread the beef on top. Layer the green beans over the beef, then arrange the remaining plantains on top. Pour 4 more beaten eggs evenly over the plantains. Sprinkle the top with adobo seasoning.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the eggs are firm, 30 to 45 minutes.

PASTELES

Steps:

• Make the sofrito: Place the chiles, bell peppers, onions, culantro, cilantro, garlic and pimentos in a blender and process until the mixture is fully puréed, scraping the sides of the blender as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use: This can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated.
• Make the masa: Peel the bananas and plantains: Prepare a mixing bowl or large pot with water. Cut off the ends of the fruits, then use a knife to score and peel off the skin. Place the bananas in the bowl of water as you go so they don't discolor. (The skins can stain, so be careful as you handle them, or wear plastic gloves.) Remove the skin of the yautia with a vegetable peeler and add it to the water.
• Remove the bananas, plantains and yautia from the water and process until smooth: First, in a food processor fitted with the grating disc, shred each ingredient separately, dumping them into a large bowl as you go. Mix the ingredients together in the bowl, switch to the blade fitting, and process the mixture in batches until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the work bowl as necessary. The end result should look soft and fluffy like a purée. (Alternatively, you can grate everything by hand on the smallest holes of a box grater.) Transfer the masa to a large mixing bowl. At this point it can be refrigerated for a few hours, covered, while you prepare the pork, or frozen for up to 3 months.
• Prepare the pork: Cut the pork into small, rough chunks about 1 inch long by 1/2 inch wide, trimming away excess tough fat as you go. Place the pork pieces in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in the reserved sofrito, making sure all of the pork cubes are coated. Let the pork cook, stirring almost constantly, until it starts to release some liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the olive oil and let it cook for a minute or two, then stir in the seasoning packet.
• Let the pork cook for another minute or two, then stir in the olives and their brine, the tomato sauce and the chicken stock or water, and a pinch of salt. Let the liquid come up to a simmer, then cover the pot and reduce the heat. Let the pork cook at a simmer for 30 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through, stirring occasionally. There should be plenty of liquid in the pot at all times, so the mixture looks like soup, not stew. If it looks dry, add stock or water as needed.
• While the pork cooks, make the annatto oil: In a small saucepan, heat the oil and the annatto seeds over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the oil begins to bubble. Lower the heat slightly and let the seeds cook in the oil until the liquid turns a bright pink-red. Turn off the heat and let the seeds sit in the oil until it cools. Strain the oil through a sieve or slotted spoon into a small mixing bowl, discarding the seeds. Set the bowl aside. (If the liquid does not immediately begin to turn red, your annatto seeds are too old.)
• When the pork is done, taste for seasoning, and add more salt if desired, then turn off the heat. Take 2 to 3 cups of the liquid from the pork and stir it into the masa until it is the consistency of thick oatmeal, soft but spreadable. You will still need about 2 to 3 cups of liquid to make the pasteles, so if your pot looks dry at this point, stir in a little water or stock so that you still have plenty of liquid, and taste for seasoning again.
• On a large, clean work surface, set up your pastel-making station: You will need the banana leaves, parchment paper, string, the annatto oil, the pork and its liquid, and the masa. To make each pastel, start with a piece of parchment paper in front of you, one long side closest to you. Use a soup spoon or a pastry brush to paint a very thin smear of annatto oil on the parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch border on the top and bottom and 4 inches on the sides. (This does not have to be perfect: It's just to keep the banana leaf from sticking.) Lay the banana leaf down on top of the oil, long side closest to you. Paint the banana leaf very lightly with the annatto oil. Spread 1/2 cup of masa on top of the banana leaf about 3/4 to 1/2 inch thick. The masa does not have to be a perfect shape: It can overlap the leaf in places and does not have to cover it completely.
• Spoon a scant 1/4 cup of pork pieces along the length of the masa in a straight line. Your goal is really a line of pork chunks along the center of the masa, so that each bite of pastel has a bite of pork. Add 2 olives to the masa, one near each end. Use a spoon to drizzle on a little more liquid as needed so that most of the masa is covered by a very thin layer of liquid. Don't overdo it: About a tablespoon or so of liquid per pastel is about right.
• To form the pastel, fold the parchment paper in half, from the bottom up, over the masa and filling so the 2 long edges meet. Fold those edges down to meet the edge of the pastel farthest from you. Press the paper down and crease the top edge. Fold the parchment in half again lengthwise from the top down, so it covers the pastel. You now have a long thin pastel wrapped in a tube of parchment, with multiple layers of paper on top. (This needn't be exact, as long as the paper forms a neat little package.)
• Working carefully, use the side of your hand to press and slide the masa on either side of the package into the center to give it a neat edge. Fold in 1 inch of the paper on the left and right sides to create small hems. Then fold both sides over the pastel. (If you have a few leaks, it's O.K.)
• Set this pastel aside, flaps facing downward, while you make its partner: Repeat the process above to make a second pastel.
• When you have 2 pasteles, stack them together so they line up, flaps facing inward. Use 1 piece of string to tie the pasteles together the same way you would a package, looping the string once across the long way and at least once across the short way. Make sure the string is tight and the pasteles are tightly tied together. Repeat this process with the remaining pairs of pasteles. At this point they can be frozen for several months, refrigerated for a day or two, or cooked and eaten immediately.
• To cook them, bring a large pot (or a few pots) of salted water to a boil and add the pasteles, either fresh or frozen, in a single layer. Let cook for 1 hour, or an hour and 10 minutes or so if they are frozen. Repeat with the remaining pasteles, then unwrap and serve right away.