Layers of thinly-sliced plantains, ground beef, and cheese, all in one cozy casserole.
As a native Puerto Rican, he argued that my version wasnt the real deal.
It was as real to me as his attitude, so I defended my version tooth and nail!
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According to him, and many other mainland Puerto Ricans, pastelon has no cheese.
It must also include green beans.
But for most Nuyoricans like me, cheese is amustand green beans are omitted.
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Some camps include all of the above, plus the addition of raisins.
This is layered between thinly sliced, fried strips of sweet ripe plantains, similar to Italian lasagna.
An egg mixture is then poured over the pie and the whole blessed thing is baked to perfection.
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Mine includes shredded cheese and leaves out the traditional raisins and green beans.
Using your two thumbs, remove the peel from the plantain and discard the peel.
Once youve peeled all the plantains, slice each one in half down the length.
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Separate the two halves and flip them onto their flat sides to create a stable base.
Line a plate with paper towels to drain the plantains after frying, and set next to the stove.
Remove from the skillet to the paper-lined plate to drain.
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Continue frying the remaining plantains.
Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan you used to fry the plantains.
Return the pan to the stove and heat over medium-high heat.
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Add the ground beef and season with the adobo and sazon.
Continue to cook the meat, breaking it up into crumbles, for 6 minutes or until browned.
Add the olives, capers, and dried oregano, and cook for 2 more minutes.
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Bring the mixture to a simmer, then remove the pan from the heat.
Cover the bottom of the casserole dish with a single layer of the fried plantain strips.
Spoon a 1-inch layer of the ground beef mixture onto the plantains.
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Top with 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
Top with a final layer of plantains.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and baking soda until frothy.
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Pour this mixture over the plantains.
Remove from the oven and top with the remaining cup of cheese.
Return the dish to the oven and cook for an additional five minutes, until the cheese has melted.
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Remove the pastelon from the oven.
Leftovers can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to three days.
To reheat, cut a portion and place either in the microwave or the oven until warmed through.
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