PIONONOS PUERTO RICO RECIPES

Steps:

• Slice plantains lengthwise into 8 strips. Fry in vegetable oil until golden & remove. Add olive oil & stir in sirloin. Add next 3 ingredients & stir. Add remaining ingredients except eggs & cook 4 minutes.
• Coil plantains into 3" circles & secure with toothpicks. Pack centers with meat mixture to make firm patties. Coat patties with beaten eggs & deep fry until golden brown.
• Serve with rice & salsa.

Steps:

• Add sweet peppers, garlic, cilantro, oregano, and olive oil to food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Set aside.
• Heat a large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat and add pancetta and onions. Sauté until fat has rendered off meat and onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Add beef and season with salt and sazon packet. Continue to sauté until well-browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and sweet peppers mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot, but not smoking. Fry plantain slices just until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Work in batches to not overcrowd pan. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up excess oil. Let rest until cool enough to handle. Leave skillet with oil over heat to fry piononos in final step.
• Gently roll each plantain strip into a circle and secure with toothpicks. Stuff each with beef mixture, pressing down gently to fill.
• In a shallow dish, beat eggs, salt, and pepper together with a fork. Working in batches, dip each side of piononos into egg mixture and carefully place in hot oil. Fry, turning once, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Let rest 3 to 5 minutes. Serve hot.