It is one of the traditional foods of the country that will add a touch of change to your kitchen, being relatively easy to make. From its history and variations to the classic recipe, in this article, you'll find everything you need to know about Pastelón.
The dish gained widespread popularity on the main island of Puerto Rico when Puerto Ricans traveled back to their island. Although Pastelón is mainly a Puerto Rican dish, it is also very popular in other Caribbean countries. However, the most popular variation of Pastelón comes from the Dominican Republic.
In fact, Pastelón, also known as "Plantain Pastelón" in the Dominican Republic, is considered the second most popular plantain-related dish in the country after Mangu. One of the biggest differences between Dominican and Puerto Rican Pastelón is how the plantains are prepared.
The dish is a good mix between the sweet flavor of ripe plantains and ground meat. Some regions use picadillo instead of regular ground beef for the dish. Pastelón is baked in a casserole and is bound together with a handful of beaten eggs to help maintain its shape while cooling.
In the Puerto Rican version, the plantains are peeled, sliced, fried, drained, and layered in the Pastelón casserole.
However, in the Dominican version, the plantains are peeled and boiled whole in water with salt for about 15 minutes.
After that, the plantains are taken out and mashed while adding butter to create a smooth purée.
