Bake

Pastelón

by:
January  9, 2024
5
1 Ratings
Pastelón
Photo by Food52
  • Prep time 25 minutes
  • Cook time 15 minutes
  • Serves 1 (10-inch) dish
Author Notes

The ever versatile plantain strikes again. Pastelón has a fuzzy history, and like many other dishes from Puerto Rico and the surrounding region, there are many opinions on what constitutes a proper pastelón. But, whatever you do, do not call this a Puerto Rican (or Dominican) lasagna! I've heard throughout the years that pastelón originally never had cheese until Puerto Ricans were influenced by Italian- Americans in NYC, which resulted in the lasagna-adjacent dish we have today.

Some may even say that this isn't a pastelón at all, but actually a piñón—which I'd have to disagree with, since piñón typically has green beans thrown into the equation. However you approach it, the important thing is the contrast of the sweet plantains against a savory and saucy meat filling, supported by lots of melty cheese. In this version, diced ham and ground pork bring the typically just-ground beef filling to another level. —César Pérez

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 6 ripe plantains (yellow with black spots), divided
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 6 ají dulce sweet peppers, split
  • 5 sprigs cilantro, chopped
  • 3 sprigs culantro, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1/2 pound ground pork
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 cup smoked ham, diced
  • 3 sprigs fresh oregano, de-stemmed
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme, de-stemmed
  • 2 tablespoons adobo (homemade or store-bought)
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
  • Unsalted butter, for greasing
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 14.5 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and torn
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • 1/4 cup queso fresco, crumbled
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • Smoked salt, to taste
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
Directions
  1. Peel the plantains. Slice 3 plantains lengthwise into strips for the bottom layer. Slice the other 3 plantains into 1-inch-thick slices at a diagonal for the top layer.
  2. In a skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat and fry the plantain slices until golden on both sides. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
  3. In a mortar and pestle, mash garlic, oregano, cilantro, culantro, and ají dulce peppers into a paste.
  4. In another skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté shallots, red bell pepper, and smoked ham for 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for an additional minute, until combined.
  5. Add the ground beef, pork, adobo, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, breaking the meat up as it cooks, until browned.
  6. Stir in canned whole tomatoes, red wine vinegar, and olives. Cook until mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.
  7. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  8. In a buttered, 10-inch oven-safe pan, make a layer with the thin plantain strips. Add all of the meat mixture and top with shredded mozzarella. Finish with the 1-inch sliced plantains, overlapping in a circular pattern.
  9. Pour beaten eggs over the top layer.
  10. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Finish with a drizzle of honey, fresh thyme, smoked flaky salt, and queso fresco. Allow to cool slightly before slicing.
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