Puerto Rican Shepherds Pie Recipe

RecipeSavants.com Unlike traditional Shepherd’s Pie the Puerto Rican Shepherd’s Pie is made with layers of fried mashed plantains and ground beef. Plantains add a nice sweet touch to the pie providing a mouth-watering harmony of sweet, savory and earthy flavors along with other ingredients. Smart Recipes, Caribbean Recipes, Beef,Eggs Recipes, Recipes Beef,Eggs Caribbean Puerto Rican Shepherds Pie

PT1H25M Serves 6 Ingredients: 1 Cup Cilantro Leaves 1 Cup Flat-Leaf Parsley Leaves 0.5 Small Onion 0.5 Green Bell Pepper 3 Cloves Garlic 0 Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil 4 Large Ripe Plantains 2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin 0.75 Cup Milk 1 Pound Ground Beef 6 Large Eggs 0.5 Cup Mozzarella Cheese For Sofrito: In a food processor, add bell pepper, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, salt and pepper and pulse till chopped finely. Transfer mixture into a bowl and keep aside. For Pastelon: In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and fry plantains with 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, salt and pepper for about 3-4 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of milk and simmer for about 10 minutes, breaking plantain slices into smaller pieces. Transfer plantain mixture to a food processor. Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk and pulse till a coarse, chunky-smooth paste is formed. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly, grease an 11X7-inch baking dish with some oil. In the same skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat and cook beef with remaining 1 teaspoon of cumin, salt and pepper for about 7-8 minutes. Stir in sofrito and cook for about 5 minutes. In a bowl, add eggs and beat well. Place half of mashed plantain mixture in the bottom of prepared baking dish evenly and with your fingers, press mixture to smooth surface. Place beef mixture over plantain layer evenly, followed by a second layer of plantain mixture. Spread beaten eggs over plantain mixture evenly and sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered for about 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and keep aside for about 5 minutes before slicing. Cut into 6 equal sized slices and serve immediately.