Yuca Pastelón with Spiced Beef, Roasted Eggplant, and Light Coconut Cream

Name: Yuca Pastelón with Spiced Beef, Roasted Eggplant, and Light Coconut Cream
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: puertorriqueña
Ingredients: 2 lb yuca, peeled and cut into chunks; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 2 tbsp butter; 1/2 cup milk; 2 tbsp olive oil; 10.5 oz eggplant; 1 lb ground beef; 6 tbsp Puerto Rican sofrito; 1 cup yellow onion; 4 cloves garlic; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/4 cup green olives stuffed with pimento; 1/4 cup raisins; 3/4 cup beef broth or water; 2/3 cup coconut milk; 3.5 oz queso del país or shredded mozzarella; 2 tbsp culantro leaves

An original Puerto Rican-style pastelón made with creamy mashed yuca layers, filled with sofrito-seasoned ground beef, olives and raisins, roasted eggplant, and a touch of light coconut cream. It is baked until golden for a creamy interior and lightly toasted top.

30 minPrep

55 minCook

85 minTotal

6Servings

High ProteinGluten-Free

Ingredients

Adjust servings

900 g yuca, peeled and cut into chunks (for hervir and majar)
8 g salt (divided)
30 g butter (for the yuca)
120 ml milk (tibia)
30 ml olive oil (divided)
300 g eggplant (sliced finas)
450 g ground beef (preferiblemente 85-90% magra)
90 g Puerto Rican sofrito (casero or preparado)
120 g yellow onion (chopped en cubitos)
12 g garlic (chopped)
30 g tomato paste
2 g dried oregano
2 g ground cumin
1 g black pepper
40 g green olives stuffed with pimento (slices)
35 g raisins
180 ml beef broth or water
160 ml coconut milk (without sugar)
100 g queso del país or shredded mozzarella (for cubrir)
8 g culantro leaves (chopped, for terminar)

Nutrition facts

per serving

472 kcal

Calories

24 g

Protein

35 g

Carbs

26 g

Fat

5 g

Fiber

30 g

Net carbs

Approximate nutritional information. Estimated from the recipe’s ingredients and amounts, using standard reference nutrition values. It may vary with brands, sizes and cooking method. For guidance only; not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.

Allergens

Dairy

Instructions

1
1. Preheat the oven to 400 °F / 200 °C. Lightly grease a baking dish about 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) with a little of the olive oil.
2
2. Place the yuca in a large pot with enough water to cover it and add 1 teaspoon of the salt. Boil over medium-high heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until very tender. Drain, remove any tough center fibers, and mash while hot with the butter and warm milk until thick and smooth. Set aside.
3
3. While the yuca cooks, place the eggplant slices on a tray, brush them with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with some of the salt and black pepper. Roast at 400 °F / 200 °C for 15 minutes, turning halfway through, until tender and lightly browned. Set aside.
4
4. In a large skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sofrito, and cook 2 more minutes until fragrant.
5
5. Add the ground beef and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink. Stir in the tomato paste, dried oregano, ground cumin, the remaining black pepper, and the rest of the salt.
6
6. Add the olives, raisins, and beef broth or water. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the filling is moist but not watery. Remove from the heat.
7
7. In a small bowl, mix the coconut milk with 2 tablespoons of the hot mashed yuca until combined; this helps the coconut cream stay more stable while baking.
8
8. Spread half of the mashed yuca in the greased baking dish. Layer all of the roasted eggplant evenly on top, then spread the beef filling over it. Drizzle the coconut milk mixture over the filling.
9
9. Cover with the remaining mashed yuca, smoothing the surface with a damp spoon. Sprinkle the queso del país or shredded mozzarella over the top.
10
10. Bake at 375 °F / 190 °C for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbling. For more color, broil for 2 to 3 additional minutes, watching closely.
11
11. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Finish with chopped fresh culantro and serve hot.

Chef tips

For a firmer pastelón, let the mashed yuca cool for 5 minutes before assembling. If the yuca feels too dry while mashing, add 1 or 2 extra tablespoons of milk. Slice the eggplant thinly so it blends better into the layers.

Substitutions

You can substitute the ground beef with ground turkey. Queso del país can be replaced with mozzarella. If you do not have culantro, use fresh cilantro, though the flavor will be different. Raisins can be omitted if you prefer a less sweet profile.

What I used to make it

Generic kitchen tools that work for this recipe. You don’t need to buy anything to make it.

Illustrative image
Ninja Professional BL610 Blender
Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Smoothies, sauces and soups
- Easy-to-wash jar
- Check the power and jar size
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Illustrative image
Cosori Pro LE 5 Qt Air Fryer
Browning and baking with little oil
- Browns food with very little oil
- Handy for vegetables, chicken and reheating
- Check the basket capacity
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Illustrative image
TempPro TP19H Digital Thermometer
Checking doneness of meat and chicken
- Checks doneness of meat and chicken
- Quick reading
- Clean the probe after each use
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