Pastelón: Puerto Rican Comfort Food with Sweet and Savoury Layers

Although mostly made using the same layering technique as lasagna, for most people I like referring to it as pastelón-a sweet plantain casserole-really bringing out those tropical flavors employed. It is such a harmonious mix of flavors. Everything is just right: from the soft and sweet plantain to the creamy cheese, from the sofrito to the ground beef with a tomato taste.

Ingredients in Pastelón

• Picadillo is a dish made with saucy and flavorful ground beef. It’s usually served alone with steamed white rice or as the filling for fritters and empanadas. The flavourful taste is produced by ingredients like tamarindo, sofrito, tomato paste, chopped pimentos, capers, and bay leaves.
• And noodles can be substituted with ripe, sweet plantains that are split lengthways and shallow-fried until tender and golden in colour.
• Cheese used is often up to personal preference. Colby Jack is a great melting cheese, but I like to use mozzarella since it has such a mild flavour. Freshly received grated cheese is also better than prepackaged cheese since it will melt much creamier.

How to Make and Store Pastelón

Since I was cooking for one, instead of making a larger quantity in a casserole dish, I used a standard loaf pan. You could easily double the recipe, and it might even fit in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish to feed a crowd. The reason my family only reserved making pastelóns for rare occasions is because they are complicated to make: many steps before the assembling and baking.

You really can freeze single portions of pastelón for a future dinner without expelling extra energy, and leftovers are great the next day.

What to Serve with Pastelón

Given the richness in flavour of the pastelón, we usually serve it with steamed white rice, such as jasmine rice or Arroz Rico short-grain rice.

Ingredients

For the picadillo filling:

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sazón seasoning, such as Badia or Iberia
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 cup fresh sofrito or thawed frozen sofrito, such as La Reyna
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon diced pimentos
• 2 teaspoons drained capers
• 1/2 cup water or unsalted beef broth, plus more as needed
• 2 small bay leaves

For the fried plantains:

• 3 large ripe plantains (about 2 pounds total)
• Cooking spray (if air frying) or 4 cups neutral oil (if deep frying)
• Kosher salt

For assembly and serving:

• Cooking spray
• 2 large eggs
• 6 ounces low-moisture shredded mozzarella or colby-jack cheese (about 1 1/2 cups shredded)
• Steamed white rice, for serving

Instructions

Make the picadillo filling:

1. In a large skillet over medium, heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil until shimmering. Add the 1 pound lean ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon of sazón flavour, 1/2 teaspoon of smoky paprika, and 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and black pepper. Stir to combine, breaking dough into smaller pieces. Let the steak cook for about 5 to 6 minutes or until it’s almost done.
2. Add two tablespoons tomato paste, one tablespoon of chopped pimentos, two teaspoons of drained capers, and one quarter cup sofrito. Toss to combine. Along with two tiny bay leaves, add 1/2 cup water or unsalted beef broth. Bring to a simmer.
3. Over medium-low heat, simmer for 15 minutes or until beef is tender and flavors have had time to meld. If mix reaches a saucy consistency similar to sloppy joes, add a little more water or broth. Taste and add more black pepper and kosher salt, if necessary. Remove skillet from burner.

Make the fried plantains:

1. Trim and cut into lengthwise 1/2-inch-thick slices 3 large plantains.
2. Option 1: Fry ’em. Heat a large cast iron skillet or straight-sided skillet to sizzling medium heat with 4 cups neutral oil. Fry the plantains until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes per side, working in batches so not to overcrowd the pan. Drain lightly with kosher salt before transferring them to a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
3. Air-frying is the second option. Fry the plantains in batches, if needed. Line the air fryer basket with them, leaving space between each, in a single layer. Spray with cooking spray light. About 7 minutes will make food golden brown at 400oF. Flip onto a baking sheet that has a wire rack attached to it.

Assemble and bake the pastelón:

1. Position an oven rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Crack up 2 large eggs in a small bowl with a fork. If using, measure out 1 1/2 cups store-bought shredded cheese or grgrate 6 ounces low-moisture mozzarella or colby-jack cheese on the big holes of a box grater.
3. The sliced fried sweet plantains must be placed in one and even layer in the loaf pan. Spread half of the picadillo, about a cup, on top. Half of the eggs must be sprinkled on. Gently tilt the pan to spread the egg to cover the picadillo.
4. Abuelita adds half the cheese on top. In another layer, add the mashed plantains, leftover picadillo, leftover egg, and half a cup of cheese. Sprinkle leftover plantains on top. Shake the pan a little to let the ingredients settle down and all the air get out. Gently lift up the pan and tap it on the kitchen towel. Give it five minutes sitting.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, with the loaf pan put on top of a baking sheet. Take out of the oven. Sprinkle the last half cup of cheese on top. Place oven back on and bake for about five minutes or till cheese is melted. If you like browner top, under the broiler the top can go for about a minute or until browned in areas. Let stand ten minutes before slicing and serving with steaming white rice.

Recipe Notes

Tasting your food, adding the amount according to your taste, will prevent over-salting, as most store-bought blends have a lot of salt. I make my own spice mixes for sazón, that way I can control just how much salt I use in preparing any particular dish.

Make ahead: Refrigerate picadillo filling in an airtight container for up to three days ahead. Heat in microwave or on stovetop before piecing together the pastelón.

Storage: You can also store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days, provided that you store them in an airtight container. You can also freeze the pastelón for several months. Cut it into single slices, cover with plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer bag or wrap it again in aluminium foil. Let the food thaw in the fridge during the night before reheating.

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