Pastelón Melt Toast

Method

1. Peel the plantains and cut them on the diagonal into 5 mm slices. Heat the oil in a 24 cm frying pan over medium heat and fry for 2 min per side, until deeply caramelised on both sides, then drain on paper towels.

   Add in this stepVery ripe plantains 1Vegetable oil 4 tbsp

   medium heat

2. Pour off the oil, leaving just a thin film, and cook the chopped onion and garlic over medium-high heat for 2 min. Add the beef, salt, oregano, achiote, tomato paste and 2 tablespoons of water, breaking up the meat, then add the sliced olives and coriander and cook for 5 min more, until no pink or liquid remains.

   Add in this stepOnion ¼Garlic cloves 1Minced beef 140 gSalt ½ tspDried oregano ¼ tspAchiote (annatto) powder ¼ tspTomato paste 2 tspPitted green olives 6Chopped coriander (cilantro) 2 tbsp

   medium-high heat

3. Spread one side of each slice of bread thinly with butter and lay them butter side out. On the unbuttered side of half the slices, layer a slice of cheese, the picadillo, the plantain and another slice of cheese, then close with the remaining bread, butter side out. The cheese on both sides glues everything together.

   Add in this stepSandwich bread or country loaf slices (1.5 cm thick) 4Butter, softened 20 gCheese slices (mozzarella) 4

4. Heat a clean 24 cm pan over medium-low heat, add the sandwiches, press down firmly with a spatula, cover and cook for 3 min per side, until the bread is deep golden and the cheese is melting out of the sides. Cook in batches if your pan is small.

   medium-low heat

5. Let them sit on the board for 1 minute, then cut diagonally; cut straight away and all the cheese runs out.