Equipment
Ingredients
plantains
- 6 plantains, ripe, yellow with black spots
- 240 ml vegetable oil, for frying
sofrito
- 100 g yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 150 g green pepper, roughly chopped
- 2 ají dulce chiles, seeded and roughly chopped
- 3 garlic, roughly chopped
- 6 g fresh cilantro, stems and leaves roughly chopped
- 6 g fresh culantro, stems and leaves roughly chopped
picadillo
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 680 g ground beef
- 9 g salt
- 3 g black pepper
- 6 g cumin
- 6 g ground sweet paprika
- 3 g dried oregano
- 340 g tomato, finely chopped
- 120 ml white wine
- 50 g tomato paste
- 110 g olives, quartered
- 20 g raisins
- 1 g salt
- 1 g black pepper
assembly
- 14 g unsalted butter, softened
- 2 egg
- 1 g salt
- 230 g mozzarella, shredded
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 493 kcal
- Protein
- 23 g
- Carbohydrates
- 53 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 824 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 97 mg
- Potassium
- 1021 mg
- Calcium
- 210 mg
- Iron
- 3.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 86 mg
- Phosphorus
- 333 mg
- Zinc
- 4.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 130 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 45 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 9 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.21 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.39 mg
- Niacin
- 4.6 mg
- Folate
- 60 mcg
- Water
- 217 g
- Alcohol
- 1 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Peel the plantains and cut them into long, thin slices lengthwise.
Heat 240ml vegetable oil in a skillet to 175°C-190°C (350°F-375°F). Fry plantain slices in batches until deep golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
Place the onion, green pepper, ají dulce, garlic, cilantro, and culantro in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture becomes a wet, chunky purée.
Sauté the prepared sofrito in 30ml oil over medium heat until the liquid evaporates and the mixture begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the ground beef, 9g salt, 3g pepper, cumin, paprika, and oregano to the skillet. Cook until the beef is browned and no longer pink, then drain any excess fat.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, wine, and tomato paste. Simmer over medium heat until the tomatoes soften and the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
Mix in the olives and raisins. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with 14g butter. Whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt.
Layer half of the fried plantains on the bottom of the dish. Spread half of the beef picadillo over the plantains and sprinkle with half of the mozzarella.
Repeat with the remaining plantains and picadillo. Pour the whisked eggs evenly over the surface, then top with the remaining mozzarella.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the egg is set and the cheese is melted. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Chef's Notes
- The ripeness of the plantains is critical; they should be yellow with significant black spotting for the correct sweetness.
- If you cannot find ají dulce, you can substitute with a small amount of red bell pepper, though the flavor profile will lack the traditional smokiness.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap tightly in foil and plastic wrap.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175°C (350°F) oven until the internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F).
Troubleshooting
Casserole is too greasy
Cause: Ground beef or fried plantains were not properly drained.
Fix: Blot the top of the finished dish with paper towels before serving.
Prevention: Ensure beef fat is discarded after browning and plantains rest on paper towels.
Layers fall apart when slicing
Cause: The dish did not rest or the egg binder did not reach the bottom layers.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once sliced.
Prevention: Ensure eggs are poured evenly and allow the dish to rest for at least 10 minutes.
Cultural Context
Pastelón is a classic Puerto Rican comfort food that balances the sweetness of 'maduros' (ripe plantains) with the salty, acidic profile of picadillo.
