Recipe Cuban Style Beef and Plantain Pie

CraigC

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Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground achiote (paste)
1 16-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained (juice reserved) and chopped
1/2 cup drained green olives (with pimientos), halved
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup raisins
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
6 semi-ripe plantains (yellow with some spots)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 eggs
3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions
FOR THE FILLING:
1) Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, add beef and cook, stirring and breaking up clumps, until no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Add onion, chopped red and green bell peppers, salt, pepper, bay leaves and achiote and cook until vegetables are softened and meat is browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
2) Add tomatoes and reserved juice, olives, tomato sauce, raisins and vinegar and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is flavorful and most liquid has evaporated, about 35 minutes. Transfer filling to a bowl to cool and set aside while you prepare the plantains.

PIE:
Preheat oven to 350F.
1) Peel plantains and cut diagonally into 1/3 inch slices. In a large skillet heat 1/4 cup of the oil over medium high heat and sauté plantains in batches until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side, adding remaining oil as needed. Transfer cooked plantains to paper towels to drain.
2) Lightly oil a 3 quart baking dish or casserole.
3) In a small bowl, whisk eggs and water until blended.
4) Pour half of egg-water mixture into baking dish and layer bottom and sides of dish with 1/3 of the plantains. Spread half of the beef filling over the plantains and sprinkle with half of the parmesan cheese. Top with half of the remaining plantains and then spread remaining beef filling, topping with remaining parmesan, and ending with remaining plantains. Pour remaining egg-water mixture over top of pie, tilting to distribute evenly.
5) Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in middle of oven until hot throughout and bubbly around edges, about 1 hour. Cool for 10 minutes before serving pie. (Pie can be inverted onto a serving platter for a nice presentation.)
 
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What an unusual dish - or at least it is unusual to me. Achiote, parmesan, olives, raisins with beef and plantain. And then an egg mixture too. I really would have to taste this to know how it worked. Usually I'm quite good at 'imagining' how flavours will work together, but in this case I can't quite get there. This is not a criticism! Intriguing...
 
What an unusual dish - or at least it is unusual to me. Achiote, parmesan, olives, raisins with beef and plantain. And then an egg mixture too. I really would have to taste this to know how it worked. Usually I'm quite good at 'imagining' how flavours will work together, but in this case I can't quite get there. This is not a criticism! Intriguing...
When I think of dried fruit (like raisins) in a savory dish, it takes me to North Africa. But, vinegar and raisins are also fairly common in chutneys. In both cases, you have counter-intuitive combinations that work.

The egg seems to be the binder here. There's not enough for it to be mistaken for a frittata.

This looks like a hearty dish that will fill you up, even if you want to have another piece.
 
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