Dominican Sweet Potato Pastelón with Oregano Pulled Pork and Fried Cheese

Name: Dominican Sweet Potato Pastelón with Oregano Pulled Pork and Fried Cheese
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Dominicana
Ingredients: 2 lb boneless pork shoulder or leg, cut into chunks; 2 lb 10 oz orange sweet potato, peeled and cubed; 9 oz Dominican frying cheese, sliced; 1 1/4 cups red onion, diced; 3/4 cup Dominican sweet peppers, chopped; 1 tbsp garlic, minced; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1/2 cup sour orange juice; 1 cup water or stock; 2 tbsp butter; 1/2 cup evaporated milk; 2 large beaten eggs; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 2 tsp dried oregano; 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper

A savory, lightly sweet pastelón inspired by Dominican flavors, made with layers of mashed sweet potato, shredded pork stewed with sweet peppers, onion, and oregano, then finished with oven-golden frying cheese.

30 minPrep

75 minCook

105 minTotal

6Servings

High ProteinGluten-Free

Ingredients

Adjust servings

900 g boneless pork shoulder or leg, cut into chunks (for desmenuzar)
1200 g orange sweet potato, peeled and cubed (for the puree)
250 g Dominican frying cheese, sliced (for the capa superior)
180 g red onion, diced (divided)
90 g Dominican sweet peppers, chopped (without semillas)
18 g garlic, minced (fresh)
30 g tomato paste
120 ml sour orange juice (si no hay, ver sustituciones)
240 ml water or stock (for guisar the cerdo)
30 g butter (for the puree of batata)
120 ml evaporated milk (for the puree of batata)
2 units beaten eggs (for dar firmeza al pastelón)
30 ml vegetable oil (divided)
4 g dried oregano (divided)
15 g cilantro, chopped
8 g salt (or to taste, divided)
2 g black pepper (divided)

Nutrition facts

per serving

560 kcal

Calories

33 g

Protein

34 g

Carbs

31 g

Fat

4 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

DairyEggs

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C. Lightly grease a medium baking dish with a little of the vegetable oil and set aside.
2
Season the pork with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and half of the sour orange juice. Mix well and let rest for 10 minutes.
3
Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a pot over medium heat. Brown the pork for 6 to 8 minutes, turning to sear several sides.
4
Add half of the red onion, the sweet peppers, and the garlic. Cook for 3 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste, the remaining sour orange juice, and the water or stock. Cover and cook over low heat for 45 minutes, or until the pork is tender.
5
Uncover the pot, cook 5 to 8 minutes more to reduce the sauce slightly, then shred the pork in the pot using two forks. Add the cilantro, adjust salt and pepper, and set aside the filling moist but not watery.
6
While the pork cooks, place the sweet potato in a pot with enough water to cover it. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 to 18 minutes until very tender. Drain well.
7
Mash the hot sweet potato with the butter, evaporated milk, beaten eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon oregano until smooth and thick.
8
In a separate skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat and sauté the rest of the red onion for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Mix it into the sweet potato mash for extra flavor and texture.
9
To assemble, spread half of the sweet potato mash in the baking dish. Evenly distribute all of the shredded pork on top. Cover with half of the frying cheese slices. Add the remaining sweet potato mash and smooth the surface. Finish with the remaining frying cheese on top.
10
Bake at 375°F / 190°C for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is golden and the pastelón is set around the edges. For deeper color, broil for 2 to 3 additional minutes, watching closely.
11
Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving so the layers can set properly.

Chef tips

Drain the sweet potato very well so the pastelón does not turn watery. If the pork releases too much liquid, reduce it a bit more before assembling. Thin slices of frying cheese create a tasty crust on top.

Substitutions

If you cannot find sour orange juice, use 1/4 cup orange juice plus 1/4 cup lime or lemon juice. You may replace Dominican frying cheese with halloumi or another firm white cheese that browns well. Evaporated milk can be replaced with light cream or whole milk, adjusting the mash texture as needed.

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
View on Amazon
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
View on Amazon
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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