Pastelon de Platanos Maduros

Description

Sweet plantain baked with every thing, but the kitchen sink.

Ingredients

• ½ to 1 once of cooking ham or ham steak. ( washed and diced )
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of sofrito
• 1 pound of ground beef
• 2 to 3 hard boiled eggs (chilled and chopped )
• 6 to 8 Spanish olives (chopped coarsely)
• 1 teaspoon of capers
• 1 teaspoon of ground oregano
• ⅛ teaspoon of white vinegar
• 1 x 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
• ½ pound of fresh green string beans (trimmed and washed in cold water )
• 4 to 6 large ripe plantains peeled and sliced length wise (about ¼ in thick, place sliced plantains in a bowl of cold water large enough to hold all the plantains)
• vegetable oil or shortening for frying.
• 6 extra large eggs

Directions

1. In a large hot frying pan or caldero add one tablespoon of olive oil and brown the diced cooking ham.
2. Add sofrito and reduce heat.
3. Let simmer for about 5 to seven minutes.
4. Add ground beef and raise heat enough to brown meat without burning the other ingredients in the pot.
5. Once the ground beef done make sure to skim off all the fat before adding the following ingredients.
6. Add the rest of the ingredients from step.
7. 3 add salt and pepper to taste allow to simmer covered for at least 15 minutes.
8. Once it is done remove from heat and set aside.
9. Bring 3 - 4 cups of cold water with ½ of teaspoon of salt to a boil.
10. Add string beans and allow to blanch for 3 to 5 minutes, remove and drain.
11. Place under cold running water drain and set aside.
12. Place enough vegetable oil or shortening in a frying pan or caldero to deep fry the plantain slices.
13. Place plantains in the hot oil and deep fry until golden brown, make sure not to over cook them.
14. When they are done remove and drain on a paper towel.
15. Repeat this process until you have fried all the plantain slices.
16. Once done set aside.
17. Place eggs in a bowl add about ¼ teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of cold water, and beat until the mixture is nice and smooth.
18. Grease or oil a large baking dish or large cast iron frying pan.
19. Add ½ of the egg mixture.
20. Place slices of plantains in the bottom of the pan or dish in order to create the bottom layer.
21. Add enough of the meat mixture to cover the plantains.
22. Add enough string beans to cover the meat mixture.
23. Add another layer of plantains.
24. Add about ½ of the remaining egg mixture.
25. Continue this process until you have used all the ingredients (just remember to make sure that your final layer must be made up of plantains).
26. Add the last of the egg mixture making sure that it covers the whole top of the dish or pan, if you feel that you need more beat another 2 eggs and pour the mixture over the top of the final layer.
27. Pre heat your oven at 350 °F.
28. Place mixture in the oven and bake from 3o to 45 minutes.
29. At the end of the cooking time place a knife in the center if it comes out with no egg residue your pastelon is done remove from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
30. Slice and serve as you would a portion of pie or lasagna.