PASTEL DE VERDE | RECETA MANABITA

butter

🥗Healthier: coconut oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Coconut oil adds a unique flavor while being dairy-free.

cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: cottage cheese

Nutritional yeast provides a cheesy flavor with fewer calories.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey offers a natural sweetness with added health benefits.

milk

🥗Healthier: almond milk

💰Cheaper: evaporated milk

Almond milk is lower in calories and suitable for lactose intolerance.

Peel the green plantains.

Cook the plantains in salted water for about 15-20 minutes until tender.

Remove the plantains and mash them until smooth.

Add salt to taste (about 2 teaspoons) to the mashed plantains.

Add 1 cup of the water used to cook the plantains to the mashed plantains.

Mix in the lard made from the pork chicharrón or substitute with butter.

Prepare the pork by cutting it into small pieces and seasoning with salt, cumin, and pepper.

Cook the pork in a skillet over high heat, adding water and covering it to allow the fat to render and the water to evaporate.

Once the water has evaporated and the fat has melted, let the pork cool.

Prepare a baking dish without greasing it and spread a layer of the mashed plantains about 2-3 cm thick.

Add a layer of the cooked pork (chicharrón) on top of the plantains.

Add a layer of cheese (preferably a local cheese).

Add another layer of mashed plantains on top of the cheese.

Add another layer of chicharrón on top of the second layer of plantains.

Top with a final layer of cheese.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Bake the dish for approximately 25 minutes until golden brown.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens