This well-known Puerto Rican casserole features ripe plantains, cut in length and baked until soft and lightly caramelized, followed by spiced ground meat filling and melting mozzarella cheese.
JJ Johnson, chef, proprietor chef, and owner of Fieldtrip, located in New York City, opts for ground lamb instead of the beef filling that is more common to give this recipe extra heft. pastelon recipe. An earthy achiote paste accentuates the red color, and the succulent lamb is paired with the sweet plantains for a vibrant and comforting meal.
A few notes from The Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Achiote powder (also known as annatto powder (also known as ground annatto) is sold at many Latin grocery stores or on the internet on the Spice Way.
The suggested pairing
Chef Johnson recommends the funky McBride Sisters Collection Cocky Motherf*cker Reserve Pinot Noir if you want a wine to pair with the dish. It offers an unmatched vibrancy that can stand against the deliciousness of Lamb Pastelon. “Once I tasted the wine, I was craving lamb and wanted to create a homey, classic dish I grew up eating.” The wine has a deep garnet shade, a fresh cherry scent, and a hint of baking spices. Robin McBride and Andrea McBride created it as an ode to their father, who subtly oozed confidence and elegance and showcased the fruity and earthy flavors of the dish.
Ingredients
- 4 (10-ounce) ripe plantains
- Three tablespoons of avocado oil, divided
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 1 pound ground lamb
- One teaspoon of garlic powder
- One teaspoon of onion powder
- One teaspoon of smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon achiote powder (ground annatto)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- One white onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 cup of orange bell pepper minced (about one bell pepper small)
- Three garlic cloves chopped (about one tablespoon)
- Two teaspoons of tomato paste
- Two tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 2 cups shredded low-moisture Part-skim mozzarella cheese (8 8 ounces) and divided
- One large egg, beaten
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Set a wire rack in the baking sheet, which is large and rimmed. Peel the plantains, then cut them across the. Slice each lengthwise in a 3-4 (1/4-inch-thick) slice. The slices of plantain evenly by using two tablespoons of avocado oil and sprinkle them evenly with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Place in a single layer on a wire rack. Bake in oven preheated to golden, around 20 minutes. Remove from oven and put aside. Don’t turn off the stove.
- While cooking, heat the remaining one tablespoon of oil inside a heavy nonstick pan at medium-high. Add the ground lamb and cook with a stirring rig to break the meat into small pieces. Sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder, smoking paprika coriander powder, achiote, cayenne pepper, black,ck pepper, and one teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is lightly browned, approximately 3 minutes.
- Transfer the meat to the other side of the skillet. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic to the opposite side of the skillet. Cook with stirring frequently, until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Combine lamb and vegetables. Add tomato paste, then cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture is blended and the tomato paste is slightly darker, from 1 up to two minutes. Mix in cilantro. Bring the heat down to a medium, then stir often until the flavors combine, about 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle with black pepper and salt according to your preference.
- Arrange around one-third of plantain pieces (8 up to 10 bits) in a cross-section along the sides of a baking dish (such as an 11-by-7-inch baking dish). Then, top with half of the lamb mix (about 1 3/4 cup) and 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat the layering procedure one more time with one-third of the plantain slices, the rest of the mix of lamb, as well as 1 cup of cheese. Finish with the remaining plantain slices and overlap slightly to ensure they fit.
- Sprinkle egg batter all over the plantains. Bake at 375 degrees F until the top becomes golden and bubbly after about 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve hot.
