Pastelon

Pastelon – (recipe and video tutorial follow) – This recipe is one that I had a ton of fun making because we had family in town from Puerto Rico (Tia Lucy and Joey). I had never actually had Pastelon until we made it together, I had only heard how delicious it was. I have also had quite a few requests for this recipe to my site and to my YouTube channel. So, I’m really glad that I was finally able to make it. Tia Lucy and Joey are super fun to cook with too. And it’s extra cool because Tia Lucy was a professional cook in Puerto Rico for almost 35 years – she’s retired now. Anyway, this Pastelon recipe is awesome and I just want to say thank you to Tia Lucy and Joey for teaching me how to make this super yummy dish. Xavier thanks you too – that’s one more Puerto Rican dish that I get to make for him ;)

Ingredients
8 plantains – very ripe
olive oil
2 cups sofrito, my recipe
2 pounds ground beef
2 Tablespoons garlic, minced
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Achiote Oil (recipe follows)
3/4 – 1 pound green beans
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 pound chedder cheese, shredded
8 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk (preferably whole)
canola oil

Instructions
1. Begin by peeling you plantains and slicing them into strips long ways. You should try to get four strips per plantain. Set these to the side when you are done. I put them on a sheet pan so that they don’t break up and they have plenty of room. I also put them back onto the same pan after I fry them.
2. Place about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan then saute the two cups of sofrito with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper for a couple of minutes. Add the beef, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and continue cooking until the meat is almost brown. While you are cooking your meat, begin frying the plantains in canola oil. They should be fried until they are golden but not a dark brown.
3. Add the Achiote Oil to the beef mixture. Also, mix the cheeses together in a seperate large bowl.
4. Once the beef is brown (done), add the green beans and continue cooking until they begin to get tender. Taste the mixture and decide if it needs more salt or pepper.
5. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, heavy cream and whole milk along with a about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a little pepper.
6. Once everything is done, it is time to assemble your Pastelon.
7. Begin by buttering the pan. Then build the layers in this order – first, 1/3 of the egg mixture, then a layer of plantains, then cheese mixture, beef, another layer of plantains, another 1/3 of the egg mixture, then more cheese, more beef, next, one last layer of plantains. Finish with a layer of cheese and then the remainder of your egg mixture.
8. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until it’s all melty and good.
9. Allow to cool for a few minutes and enjoy!

Achiote Oil
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup achiote seeds (annoto seeds)

1. Combine the seeds and the oil in a small saute pan (skillet). Place on medium heat and stir frequently. Allow to cook until you have a deep orange color. Do not allow to boil.