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Crispy fried plantains replace bread in this Chicago-born Puerto Rican sandwich, stuffed with sazón-rubbed skirt steak, melted American cheese, and a garlic mayo so assertive it announces itself from across the room.
In 1996, a Puerto Rican restaurateur named Juan Figueroa stood in his kitchen in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood and made a decision that would create an entirely new American sandwich. He had read about a plantain sandwich in a Puerto Rican newspaper and decided to try his own version at his restaurant, Borinquen. He fried green plantains, flattened them into sturdy patties, filled them with seasoned steak, and the jibarito was born. The name means "little hillbilly" in Puerto Rican slang, an affectionate nod to the rural jíbaro farmers who grew the plantains.
This is not fusion food. This is immigration food, the kind of cooking that happens when a community transplants its traditions to new soil and watches them grow into something the homeland never imagined. Chicago's Puerto Rican community embraced the jibarito as their own. It spread from Humboldt Park to restaurants across the city, then to cities across the country. Yet it remains, at its heart, a Chicago original.
The technique borrows from tostones, those twice-fried plantain patties served throughout the Caribbean. But where tostones are an accompaniment, here they become the foundation. Green plantains, fried until golden, smashed flat, fried again until shatteringly crisp. They hold their structure better than any bread. They add a sweetness that plays against the garlicky heat of the mayo and the deep seasoning of the meat. There is nothing quite like it.
Quantity
2 large
Quantity
about 2 cups
Quantity
1 pound
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground
Quantity
2 tablespoons
Quantity
1/2 cup
Quantity
4 cloves
minced
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
Quantity
4 slices
Quantity
4 leaves
Quantity
1 large
sliced into rounds
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| green plantains | 2 large |
| vegetable oil for frying | about 2 cups |
| skirt steak | 1 pound |
| sazón seasoning | 1 tablespoon |
| garlic powder | 1 teaspoon |
| onion powder | 1 teaspoon |
| ground cumin | 1/2 teaspoon |
| dried oregano | 1/2 teaspoon |
| kosher salt (for steak) | 1/2 teaspoon |
| black pepperfreshly ground | 1/4 teaspoon |
| vegetable oil for searing | 2 tablespoons |
| mayonnaise | 1/2 cup |
| garlicminced | 4 cloves |
| fresh lime juice | 1 tablespoon |
| kosher salt (for mayo) | 1/4 teaspoon |
| American cheese | 4 slices |
| iceberg or romaine lettuce | 4 leaves |
| ripe tomatosliced into rounds | 1 large |
Combine the mayonnaise, minced garlic, lime juice, and salt in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. The garlic should be raw and assertive. This isn't a subtle spread. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare everything else. The flavors will marry as it sits.
Choose plantains that are completely green with no yellow patches or black spots. Ripeness is your enemy here. Cut off both ends and score the skin lengthwise along the ridges, cutting just through the peel without piercing the flesh. Peel away the skin in strips. It will resist you. That's how you know you've chosen correctly. Cut each plantain crosswise into two pieces, roughly four inches each.
Heat two cups of vegetable oil in a heavy pot or deep skillet to 325°F. The oil should be deep enough to submerge the plantain pieces. Fry the plantain pieces for about five minutes, turning once, until they're pale golden and cooked through but still pliable. They should yield to a fork but not be crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
While the plantains are still warm, place each piece between two sheets of parchment paper or inside a plastic bag. Using the bottom of a heavy pan or a tostonera if you have one, press firmly to flatten each piece into an oval about a quarter inch thick and roughly the size of your palm. Work quickly. They flatten best while warm.
Raise the oil temperature to 375°F. Fry the flattened plantains again, in batches if necessary, until deep golden brown and crispy, about two to three minutes per side. They should crackle when you tap them. Transfer to fresh paper towels and season immediately with a light sprinkle of salt. These are your bread.
Mix together the sazón, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pat the skirt steak dry with paper towels. Season generously on both sides with the spice mixture, pressing it into the meat. Let it sit at room temperature for ten minutes while the plantains finish.
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a cast iron skillet or heavy pan over high heat until the oil shimmers and barely smokes. Add the steak and cook without moving for three to four minutes until a dark crust forms. Flip and cook another two to three minutes for medium. The sazón will create an almost caramelized char. Transfer to a cutting board and rest five minutes.
Slice the rested steak against the grain into thin strips, no more than a quarter inch thick. The meat should be pink in the center with a deeply seasoned crust. Collect any juices from the cutting board. They belong on the sandwich.
Work quickly so everything stays warm. Place two crispy plantain patties on your work surface. Spread a generous tablespoon of garlic mayo on each. Layer two slices of American cheese on the bottom patty. Pile sliced steak on the cheese, drizzling any collected juices over the meat. Add lettuce and tomato. Spread more garlic mayo on the top plantain and press it down gently. The heat from the steak will soften the cheese.
Cut each sandwich in half on a diagonal if desired. The plantains will crunch as the knife passes through. Serve immediately while the contrast between crispy plantain, warm meat, and cool vegetables remains sharp. This sandwich does not wait.
1 sandwich (about 900g)
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