Pabellón Sweet Plantain Boats with Melted Cheese

Method

1. Put the beef in one piece in a 18 cm pot with the water, bay leaves and part of the salt. Bring to the boil on high heat, skim, then lower to medium-low heat, cover and simmer for 1 h 15 min, until it shreds easily with a fork. Keep a little of the broth.

   Add in this stepBeef flank steak (or brisket) 240 gWater 900 mlBay leaves 1Salt 0.4 tsp

   high heat→medium-low heat

2. When the beef is nearly done, preheat the oven to 200 °C. Cut the ends off the plantains, peel them, lay them on a tray lined with baking paper and brush all over with the melted butter. Roast (oven) for 25 min, turning once halfway, until soft with a deep caramel-coloured outside.

   Add in this stepVery ripe plantains (skin almost black) 2Melted butter 20 g

   oven

3. While the plantains roast, shred the beef finely along the grain. Heat the oil in a 20 cm pan on medium heat, cook the chopped onion, bell pepper and garlic for 5 min, then add the tomato paste and cumin and stir for 30 seconds. Add the beef, half a ladle of broth and part of the salt and simmer on medium-low heat for 7 min, until juicy but with almost no liquid left.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil 1 tbspOnion ½Red bell pepper ½Garlic cloves 2Tomato paste 1½ tbspGround cumin ½ tspSalt 0.4 tsp

   medium heat→medium-low heat

4. Put the beans and the remaining salt in a small 14 cm pot and warm on medium-low heat for 4 min, mashing with a fork into a thick paste.

   Add in this stepCooked black beans, drained 160 gSalt ¼ tsp

   medium-low heat

5. Cut a slit along the top of each roasted plantain, not all the way through, and gently open it with a spoon to make a boat. Fill with the bean paste first, pile the beef on top and cover with mozzarella. Return to the oven at 200 °C (oven) for 8 min, until the cheese has melted and turned golden.

   Add in this stepMozzarella, grated 60 g

   oven

6. Pipe or spoon a line of sour cream over the top, scatter with cilantro and serve hot.

   Add in this stepSour cream 2 tbspChopped cilantro (coriander) 2 tbsp