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Paleo Jibarito Sandwich

This paleo sandwich is a Puerto Rican dish that originated in Chicago. Instead of having to travel to try this dish, you can now make it from the comfort of your own home. by Marla Starr, updated May 5, 2017 Posted on May 4, 2017

Paleo Jibarito
Marla Starr
Marla Starr is the founder of Paleo Porn, co-author of Pigskin Paleo and Owner of Starr Fitness. Marla is a Certified Personal Trainer, 200HR Certified Yoga Instructor, a Certified Barre & SUP/SUP Yoga Instructor offering Personal Training & Small Group Fitness classes both in person and virtually. In addition to all of the above she is also the Executive Producer of Minimalism. Please enjoy all the recipes in the Paleo Porn recipe archives!

The Jibarito is a sandwich made with flattened, fried green plantains (instead of bread), garlic-flavored mayonnaise and a filling of meat, cheese, lettuce and tomato. And the best part is that this paleo dream of a meal was created right here in Chicago!

This Puerto Rican sandwich originally had a steak filling but other ingredients such as chicken and pork are common substitutes. If you frequent a Puerto Rican restaurant here in Chicago you’ll find several different meat alternatives offered as options.

Paleo Jibarito
Paleo Jibarito

I first learned about the jibarito sandwich from my friend, and co-author of Paleo MX, Ana. She wrote about her experience trying her first Jibarito and then searching for them all over Puerto Rico, on her blog.

My First Jibarito Experience

The first night I learned about these paleo sandwiches was several years ago. I was hosting a pot luck at my house for the Paleo Chicago Meetup group and Ana brought mini jibarito sandwiches for everyone to try. I thought they were quite a labor intensive meal to bring for a potluck so I was impressed with both Ana’s commitment to make enough for everyone and of course the flavors of the dish!

I initially thought she had just created the dish herself and given it a specific name but then I overheard her and my friend Anthony sharing their jibarito experiences. They were discussing where the jibarito originated, the different ways it can be prepared and where to find a really good one in the city.

Jibarito in Chicago

Papa’s Cache Sabroso, Chicago

My First Jibarito In Chicago

Skip to just a few months ago in January when I finally went with the two of them to experience a jibarito at a Puerto Rican restaurant in Chicago. We were planning to go to Kai Zan, a sushi restaurant in Humboldt Park, but we hadn’t made reservations so when we walked in and they were completely booked we needed to find someplace else, stat. So we walked around the area and wound up dining at Papa’s Cache Sabroso where I was able to finally try my first restaurant-made jibarito.

I thoroughly enjoyed that sandwich! There’s nothing like going to a restaurant and ordering something off the menu, without having to make adjustments. Actually, the only thing I asked for was to remove the cheese. #dairyfree

The Makings of a Paleo Jibarito Sandwich

I came home that night and couldn’t stop thinking about that sandwich. The very next day I decided to pick up what I needed from the store and make one myself.

Thankfully, I already had some Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo on hand. If you don’t have a jar of this paleo mayo, you can find it on shelves at Whole Foods or you can order it at a cheaper rate from Thrive Market.

In the meantime you can always make your own mayo and create the garlic mayo by combining some garlic powder and mayo in a bowl, seasoned to your liking.

I wanted to go as traditional as possible with this recipe so I went with a cut of grass-fed beef and grilled the steak in my Lodge cast iron grill pan on the stove top.

Flattened Plantains

The most labor intensive part of making a jibarito at home is pressing and frying the plantains. I used my tortilla press to help get an even thickness on the plantains. If you don’t have a tortilla press, no worries, you can place the plantains between two strips of parchment paper and flatten them with the weight of a cutting board instead. Once that’s complete and your choice of meat is cooked, all you have to do is put everything together and serve.

Gotham Greens is a Chicago-based company that grow their produce in New York & Chicago and I enjoyed using their Butterhead Lettuce with this dish.

As you can see, I served this dish with white rice, but you can serve it with a side salad for some additional vegetables or cauliflower rice if you don’t include white rice in your paleo diet.

Paleo Jibarito

Paleo Jibarito Sandwich

Yield: Serves 2-4

Ingredients

  • 2 green plantains
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1/2lb thin cut grass-fed beef steak (cut recommendations include flank, strip, skirt, flap, etc.)
  • sea salt, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste
  • garlic powder, to taste
  • Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo
  • butterhead lettuce (or your choice of green leaf lettuce)
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • 1 small onion, sliced (optional)

Directions

  1. Cut the ends off the plantains and discard. Then slice each plantain from long end to end completely in half. Peel the skin off each plantain and discard.
  2. Flatten each plantain half by placing it between two sheets of parchment paper and using a tortilla press or pressing down with a heavy weight like a large cutting board or a kettlebell. ;)
  3. Once all plantains are pressed, heat coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes, flip and brown on both sides before transferring to a plate. Set aside.
  4. Heat a cast iron grill pan over medium heat until hot. Season steak with sea salt, black pepper & garlic powder on both sides. Sear, flip and cook steak to your desired doneness.
  5. Next prepare your sandwich. Place a plantain half on a plate, smear with mayo, add lettuce, tomato slices and I added sliced sweet onion. Top all that with the cooked steak. Finally, smear more mayo on the second plantain half and place on top of steak. Cut the sandwich in half at the center with a steak knife and serve alongside white rice or cauliflower rice.
  6. Enjoy! :)

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About the Author Marla Starr

Marla Starr is the founder of Paleo Porn, co-author of Pigskin Paleo and Owner of Starr Fitness. Marla is a Certified Personal Trainer, 200HR Certified Yoga Instructor, a Certified Barre & SUP/SUP Yoga Instructor offering Personal Training & Small Group Fitness classes both in person and virtually. In addition to all of the above she is also the Executive Producer of Minimalism. Please enjoy all the recipes in the Paleo Porn recipe archives!

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