Jibarito Sandwich

In a quart mason jar, combine the lime juice, vegetable oil, garlic paste, adobo, onion powder, oregano, cumin, and black pepper. Screw the lid on tightly and shake the jar vigorously for 40 seconds to 1 minute until the ingredients are well combined.

Pour the marinade into a shallow dish or sturdy zip-top food storage bag. Add the ribeye steaks to the marinade, flipping each to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, and up to 12 hours.

In a 1-quart mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, lime juice, granulated garlic, and adobo until smooth. 

Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate the mayo-ketchup until you’re ready to assemble the sandwiches. The mayo-ketchup can be prepared 5 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

20 minutes before you plan to sear the steaks, peel the plantains by cutting 1/2 inch off each end to remove the stems. Use the tip of a paring knife to cut a slit down the backside length of the plantain. Using the meaty part of your thumb, push up the peel to remove it from the plantain. 

Once the plantain is peeled, slice it in half down its length. Repeat with the remaining plantains.

In a 12-inch frying pan, fill the pan with 2 inches of vegetable oil and heat over medium heat. 

While you’re waiting for the oil to heat, prepare a draining station by placing a cooling rack over a sheet pan, or line a sheet pan with paper towels to absorb the frying oil. 

Set your oven to “warm” to hold the tostones once you’re done frying them.

Once the oil reaches 330°F, or forms little bubbles around the handle of a wooden spoon when you put it in the oil, add 4 slabs of plantain (you’ll cook these in two batches).  

Fry the plantains for 2 minutes, then use a pair of tongs to carefully flip them over. Fry the plantains for another 2 minutes, or until the tip of a knife slides in and out of the plantain with no resistance. Remove the plantains from the oil using tongs and place onto the sheet pan to absorb any extra oil.

Repeat with the second batch of plantains.

Before smashing the plantains, remove the steaks from the refrigerator to allow them to come to room temperature slightly.

Increase the frying pan of oil to medium-high heat while you smash the plantains. 

Place the plantain slab on a cutting board and lay a piece of parchment or wax paper over it. Press the plantain with a heavy pan (a cast iron skillet works well for this) to smash to a thickness of 1/3 inch. 

Slide a knife or thin spatula to separate the bottom of the plantain from the cutting board and return it to the rack. 

Smash the remaining plantains until they are all flat.

Once the oil in the pan reaches 350°F (180°C), return the flattened plantains to the oil to fry them a second time. You will need to work in batches of 2 or 3 to avoid crowding the pan. 

Fry the plantains for 2 minutes on each side or until the edges are slightly brown and the exteriors are crispy.

Remove the tostones from the oil using a pair of tongs and set them on the rack to drain while you fry the remaining plantains. 

Once all of the tostones are fried, place the sheet pan in the oven to keep warm while you sear the steaks.

Heat a 12-inch or larger skillet over medium-high heat. Once heat radiates from the pan, pour in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. 

Carefully, lay the steaks in the pan and use your fingers or a pair of tongs to press it down onto the skillet’s surface. This contact ensures an even sear. Sear the meat for 4 minutes (for medium-rare). Use a pair of tongs to flip the steaks to the other side and sear for another 4 minutes.

Remove the steaks from the pan and allow them to rest for 5 minutes.

Assemble the sandwiches by spreading 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mayo-ketchup onto each tostón. Lay a slice of cheese on the bottom of 4 tostones, followed by 1 piece of steak, a leaf of lettuce, two slices of tomato, and a few slices of onion. Top these with another slice of cheese and cover them with the top tostón. 

Serve the jibarito immediately.

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