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Puerto Rican–Style Plantain Steak Sandwiches (Jibarito)
Recipes
Puerto Rican–Style Plantain Steak Sandwiches (Jibarito)
2 servings
1 hour, 15 minutes total (Active 25 minutes)

Ingredients

    1. For steak:
    2. ½ lb flank steak
    3. 1 (1.41 oz) packet sazón seasoning
    4. 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
    5. ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    6. ¼ teaspoon pepper
    7. Large zip-top bag
    8. ¾ cup lager beer
    9. Cooking spray
    10. For plantains:
    11. 1 large, green plantain
    12. 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
    13. Parchment paper
    14. ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    15. For assembly:
    16. 1 small tomato
    17. 2 slices American cheese
    18. 1 cup lettuce shreds
    19. ¼ cup mayo-ketchup

    Steps

      1. Prepare steak. Pound steak with meat mallet until ¾-inch thick. Coat with sazón, adobo, garlic powder, and pepper. Place in bag (wash hands) and pour in beer; seal and knead to coat. Let stand to marinate 20 minutes (or chill overnight). Preheat grill (or grill pan) on medium-high.
      2. Remove steak from bag (discard marinade) and coat with spray. Grill 2–3 minutes on each side until grill-marked and 125°F (for medium rare; warm red center), 130°F (for medium; warm pink center), or up to 170°F (for well done). Transfer steak to cutting board and let stand 5–10 minutes before slicing; temperature will rise 5–10°F during this time.
      3. Prepare plantains. Heat oil in Dutch oven to 350°F. Cut ends off plantain, cut into quarters, and peel. Fry plantains 6–7 minutes until fork-tender. Remove from oil; place between 2 pieces parchment paper and use heavy pan to smash carefully until ¼-inch thick, leaving intact. Fry 2–3 more minutes until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towel–lined plate; sprinkle with salt.
      4. Assemble sandwiches. Slice tomato thinly. Arrange 2 plantains on work surface. Top evenly with steak slices, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, mayo-ketchup, and remaining 2 plantain slices. Serve.
      Note: The doneness temperatures for medium rare and medium stated above are traditional temperatures used for cooking steak, but are not recommended by the USDA. To maintain food safety, the USDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F, as measured using a food thermometer, with a 3-minute rest time before slicing.

    Amount per ½ recipe serving: Calories 700, Total Fat 44g, Sat Fat 9g, Trans Fat 0g, Chol 90mg, Sodium 990mg, Total Carb 51g, Fiber 4g, Sugars 25g, Protein 29g, Calc 15%, Vitamin A 0%, Vitamin C 0%, Iron 15%