Pastelón de plátano maduro is a popular dish in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic and is composed of layers of sweet, mashed plantains and savory beef topped with a layer of gooey, melted cheese. The juxtaposition of savory and sweet is the key characteristic of this dish. For this recipe, the plantains are at perfect ripeness when they are yellow with large brown patches; green plantains will not be sweet enough. We recommend buying your plantains a week in advance to give them enough time to ripen.
Note: If you would like to schedule this cook, but do no want to wait for the broiler to cool before refrigerating, sauté the red onion, garlic, and olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat for 6 minutes.
Pastelón de Plátano Maduro
Ingredients
- 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 4 large, ripe plantains
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes
- 1 cup mozzarella or cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
1) Combine red onion, garlic, and olive oil in a Suvie pan. Place pan in Suvie and broil for 10-15 minutes, or until onion is soft.
2) Remove pan from Suvie and stir in bell pepper, ground beef, tomato sauce and 1 tsp kosher salt until cohesive.
3) Peel plantains and cut into ½” pieces. Place plantains in second Suvie pan and scatter cubed butter and 1 tsp salt over the top.
4) Insert pans into Suvie, input settings, and cook now or schedule.
Suvie Cook Settings
Bottom Zone: Slow Cook High for 1 hour
5) Once the cook has finished, remove pans from Suvie.
6) Mash plantains with a fork until smooth. Remove half the plantains and transfer to a separate bowl. Spread remaining plantains into an even layer in the bottom of the pan.
7) Stir beef and break up any large pieces with a spoon. Skim fat from the beef, tilting pan to remove as much liquid as possible, up to 1 cup; discard liquid.
8) Spoon beef over the top of the plantains and spread into an even layer.
9) Top the beef with the remaining reserved plantains and spread into an even layer.
10) Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top of the plantains and return pan to Suvie.
11) Broil for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
12) Remove pan, cut into pieces, and serve. Enjoy!
Note: If you would like to make this recipe in Suvie 1.0, insert pans into the top zones of Suvie, fill reservoir, and set to Slow Cook on High for 1 hour.
Wine Pairing
The combination of ingredients and flavors of this dish make successful wine pairings challenging. Beef is often served with red wine, but plantains work best when paired with dry whites. An off-dry Chenin Blanc or an oak-aged Chardonnay will have enough body to match the beef and should still be dry enough to handle the sweet notes of the plantains.
