The Jibarito (Plantain Sandwich)

The Jibarito might be Chicago’s best sandwich you’ve never heard of (unless you have). Born in Humboldt Park, this Puerto Rican/Chicago creation ditches bread for crispy fried plantains, stuffed with steak, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and garlic mayo. In this video, we’ll dive into the full story of the Jibarito, how it started, what it means to Chicago’s Puerto Rican community, and why it deserves a spot next to Italian beef and the Chicago dog as one of the city’s iconic sandos. But first we need to try it from the source before we can come back to the crib and make a Jibarito from scratch. Let’s ride!

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Print

The Jibarito

Ingredients

The Plantains

• 4 large green plantains
• Neutral oil for frying (vegetable, canola, or peanut)
• Kosher salt, to taste

The Beef

• 1 ½ lbs round steak, thinly sliced across the grain
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp Puerto Rican sofrito
• 2 cups water (plus more as needed)
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp adobo with achiote
• 1 tsp regular adobo
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• Kosher salt, to taste

Garlic Oil

• 15 cloves peeled garlic
• 2 cups Neutral Oil

Puerto Rican Rice with Pigeon Peas (Arroz con Gandules)

• 3 Tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or canola)
• ½ cup sofrito (homemade or store-bought)
• 2 packets sazón con achiote (or 2 tsp homemade annatto seasoning)
• 1 tsp adobo seasoning (or salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano blend)
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• 1 can (15 oz) gandules (pigeon peas), drained and rinsed
• 2 ½ cups medium-grain rice (Calrose or similar)
• • 8. 3 ½ cups water or vegetable broth

Instructions

The Plantains

1. Trim the ends of the plantains, score the peel lengthwise, and remove the skin.
2. Cut each plantain in half crosswise for a total of 8 pieces, then soak them in very hot water for 10 minutes.
3. Heat 1–2 inches of oil to 325°F (165°C). Fry the plantain halves for about 7 minutes, turning halfway, until lightly golden and tender. Drain.
4. Place each fried plantain half between parchment or plastic wrap and press with a heavy skillet or sheet pan until flat and rectangular, about ¼ inch thick.
5. Raise the oil temperature to 350–365°F (175–185°C). Fry the flattened plantains again until golden and crispy, about 2–3 minutes per side.
6. Drain on paper towels and season with kosher salt while hot.
7. Use 2 pressed plantains per sandwich; 8 pieces make 4 jibaritos.

The Beef

1. Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add beef, onion, garlic, and sofrito and cook until beef is browned and aromatics are soft.
2. Pour in water and vinegar, scraping the pot to release browned bits.
3. Stir in adobo with achiote, regular adobo, and a pinch of salt.
4. Cover and cook gently on low heat until beef is tender and shreddable, about 1 ½–2 hours, adding more water if needed to keep it saucy.

Garlic Oil

1. Blend the garlic and oil, store in sealable container in the fridge and use as needed.

Puerto Rican Rice with Pigeon Peas (Arroz con Gandules)

1. Heat oil in a heavy pot or caldero over medium heat.
2. Add sofrito, sazón, adobo, and tomato sauce. Cook 3–4 minutes until fragrant and slightly reduced.
3. Stir in the gandules and rice, making sure the grains are coated in the seasoning.
4. Pour in the water or broth. Bring to a boil, stir once, then reduce heat to low. Cover tightly with a lid.
5. Cook 25–30 minutes, undisturbed, until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
6. • 6. Fluff with a fork and serve.

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