Jibarito Sandwich
Jibarito Sandwich
Said to have been created in Chicago by Juan C. Figueroa at his Puerto Rican restaurant Borinquen, the jibarito sandwich substitutes slices of fried plantains for bread, between which are piled skirt steak, onions, lettuce and mayo. Though it's most often eaten out, it's easy to make this iconic sandwich at home.This recipe is by Amy Bizzarri, a Chicago-based food and travel writer, and is included in her book "Iconic Chicago Dishes, Drinks and Desserts" (The History Press, 2016). This recipe was originally published in the Chicago Tribune.
Prep Time
20
minutes
Cook Time
15
minutes
Servings
2
servings
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 5 cup vegetable oil
- 2 green plantains, peeled and cut in half crosswise
- 1/2 pound skirt steak, thinly sliced
- salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- pinch ground cumin
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- garlic mayo (recipe follows)
- 1/2 red onion, sliced into half moons
- lettuce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- In a large Dutch oven or skillet, heat 5 cups vegetable oil to about 325 F.
- Fry plantain pieces (from 2 peeled and cut green plantains) in batches if necessary, about 1 minute. Transfer plantains to a paper towel-lined plate. Flatten each plantain piece between two heavy cutting boards. Return the flattened pieces to the hot oil; fry again until golden, about 2 minutes.
- Season 1/2 pound thinly sliced skirt steak with salt, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, a pinch of ground cumin and 1 minced garlic clove.
- In a skillet over medium heat, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the steak to the pan; cook a couple of minutes on each side or as preferred.
- Spread garlic mayo on each side of the fried plantains, then fill your jibaritos with steak, sliced red onion and lettuce.
- In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 clove minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until combined.