Piononos Boricuas

5 from 1 vote

Piononos or Piononos Boricuas (Stuffed Sweet Plantains) are savory pockets or rolls stuffed with carne molida (picadillo) and topped with a cheesy blanket of yummy gooeyness!

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Servings:

Calories: 322kcal

Author: Catherine Arena

Ingredients

3 ripe plantains (yellow with a few black spots) peeled
carne molida recipe
shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
2 eggs lightly beaten
oil for frying
toothpicks to hold piononos together

Instructions

Carne Molida (Puerto Rican Picadillo)

Follow the recipe for carne molida.

Plantains

Using a knife, cut the ends of the plantains.
Gently score the plantains lengthwise with the knife and cut through the skin without cutting into the flesh.
Gently pry the skin with your finger tip at one end and running it down the banana to peel skin.
Slice the plantains vertically into thin slivers.
Add about half an inch of vegetable or corn oil to a skillet over medium heat.
Fry plantains on both sides until golden brown.
Drain on paper towels.
Note: Do not overcrowd skillet or plantain slivers will be too soggy and hold excess oil.
Allow plantains to cool for a few minutes.
Form plantains into pinwheels and secure with a toothpick.
Lightly beat two eggs and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fill the center of each pionono pinwheel with the beef filling and press down lightly.
Using a spoon, drizzle beaten egg on top of each pionono. This will help keep the meat filling together.
At this point, you can either top each pionono with cheese or leave as is if you prefer your piononos without it.
Using a spatula, carefully lift each pionono and place in a greased baking sheet or casserole.
Bake piononos for 15 minutes until heated through and cheese has melted.
Carefully remove toothpicks and serve.

Method for Baking Plantains Slices

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and lay plantain slices in a single layer.
Lightly spray plantain slices and bake for about 10 minutes before turning over.
Continue baking for another 10 minutes or until plantain slices are slightly golden brown.
Proceed with the same exact steps as above from starting from step 3 through 11.

Notes

When choosing the plantains for this recipe, it is important to use plantains that are yellow with just a few black spots and not plantains that are too ripe. Plantains that have mostly black skin will not be able to hold the beef filling. So choose plantains that are yellow with a few black spots on the skin to produce the best piononos recipe.

Nutrition