GOTHAM FOODIE

Pastelon is a super delicious dish originating in Puerto Rico, and is coined the “Puerto Rican Lasagna”. I have a deep connection with the Puerto Rican community, as a matter of fact, my children are half Puerto Rican. I learned to make a few dishes early on, and I just love their food. I made this dish last week for Easter for my family, and it was a big hit! Enjoy!

What you’ll need:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 6 Maduros (or more)
• 1 tsp dry oregano
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp sofrito
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 package sazon seasoning
• 1/3 cup pimento stuffed olives
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 4 beaten eggs
• canola oil
• salt and pepper

In 1 tbsp canola oil brown the ground beef. Add oregano, cumin, salt and pepper to taste. Slice the Maduros lengthwise and fry them in a pan, using 1/3 cup of canola oil (I actually ended up using more, but I leave that up to you). Place them on a paper towel to dry, then lay them out in an oven proof pan.

Beat 2 eggs and add some salt and pepper, then pour over the Maduros. Proceed to sprinkle all the Mozzarella cheese on top.

In a separate skillet combine the sofrito with the tomato paste, olives and sazon seasoning. in 1 tbsp canola oil. Add it to the cooked meat, stir and reheat. Add the meat on top of the mozzarella layer.

Cover with another layer of fried maduros. Beat the other 2 eggs with some salt and pepper and pour over the rest of the Pastelon. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Set aside to cool down, Enjoy!

Bon Appétit!