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5.0 from 3 votes

Pastelón de Plátano Maduro

Pastelón de plátano maduro is a dish from the Dominican Republic composed of plantains, ground meat, cheese and herbs, that is popular throughout the Latin Caribbean.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 6 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Caribbean , Puerto Rican , Dominican

Ingredients

For the filling
  • 1 large red onion , diced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic , crushed
  • 1 lb beef , ground
  • 1 red bell pepper , chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 bunch cilantro , chopped
For the tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic , crushed
  • 4 lb tomatoes (ripe), peeled, seeded and diced
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the pastelón
  • 7 plantains , ripe
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 5 oz. queso amarillo (or cheddar cheese or mozzarella), grated
  • 10 tablespoons butter
Equipment
  • Dutch oven
  • Baking dish

Instructions

Tomato sauce
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil over low heat.
  2. Add the garlic and cook over medium heat until softened, being careful not to burn it.
  3. Add the tomatoes and bell pepper.
  4. Cover and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender.
  5. Remove from the heat and mix in the blender.
  6. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Filling
  1. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook the onion for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
  2. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
  3. Add the ground beef and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
  4. Add all the other ingredients and mix well.
  5. Finally add the previously prepared tomato sauce and cook covered for 15 minutes.
Pastelón
  1. Peel the plantains.
  2. Boil them in enough water to cover the bananas with 1 teaspoon of salt.
  3. Cook them covered for 20 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C.
  5. Spread 4 tablespoons of butter at the bottom of a 6x9 inch (15 x 22 cm) baking dish.
  6. Remove the plantains from the water, drain them and, in a salad bowl, mix them with the remaining butter until they become a smooth and creamy purée.
Assembly of the pastelón
  1. Place half of the plantain puree at the bottom of the baking dish and spread evenly with a spatula.
  2. Place a layer of ground meat in the sauce on top.
  3. Garnish with half of the cheese.
  4. Place the other half of the plantain purée on top of it, spreading it evenly over a spatula.
  5. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
  6. Bake and cook until the cheese is golden, about 10 to 15 minutes.
  7. Wait 5 to 10 minutes before unmolding.