Jibarito – One More Recipe from Chicago

Click here to go to printable recipe: Fried Plantain Sandwich – Jibarito

In a previous post, I mentioned several dishes that I had the chance to try in Chicago, in the US, some of which are iconic and original from this city.  I also got inspiration from a meal at a contemporary Spanish restaurant there, and created my own fusion Spanish/Mexican menu.  Coincidentally, a few days before the trip itself, one of my daughters was visiting us at home in Ontario, Canada, and she mentioned a type of sandwich using plantain instead of bread, that was trending on social media, called Jibarito. 

Jibaro is a Puerto Rican term to refer to a rural worker, a farmer, and the diminutive is the name of the dish.  According to Wikipedia, the jibarito sandwich was created in Chicago in 1996, by Juan “Peter” Figueroa, a restaurant owner who was inspired by other flattened and fried plantain dishes, such as Colombian patacones; the original jibarito included steak, lettuce, tomato, cheese and aioli (or garlicky mayo).  The jibaritos trending on social media have more ingredients, and any protein, from tofu to pulled pork.  We skipped the cheese, but kept the aioli, with the shortcut of using mayonnaise.  Our recipe also had a Mexican twist, of course, with some chilorio as the protein, and the addition of guacamole and jalapeño peppers; in the end, the fillings are left to the cook’s preferences.

Fried Plantain Sandwich – Jibarito

Printable recipe: Fried Plantain Sandwich – Jibarito

Ingredients (for two sandwiches)

2 plantains; washed, ends removed, peeled, and cut in half crosswise 
1 cup protein of choice: pork, chicken, steak, tofu, etc.
2 leaves lettuce; washed and torn into pieces
1 Roma tomato; washed, stem spot removed, and sliced
1-2 fresh jalapeño peppers; washed, stem end removed, and sliced
1 avocado; washed, peeled, and pit removed
1 lime; washed and halved
Salt, to taste
2 slices cheese, such as gouda or cheddar, optional
Oil, for deep frying
For Short-Cut Aioli:
½ cup mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic; peeled and minced
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

Prepare aioli: mix all ingredients in a bowl or jar; reserve.

Prepare guacamole: smash avocado flesh in a bowl, adding salt to taste.  Sprinkle about two tablespoons of lime juice on top, cover and reserve.  (At serving time, stir to mix in the lime juice, and adjust with more salt, if needed.) 

Set up all fillings, photo below, clockwise from top left, sliced jalapeño peppers, torn lettuce, guacamole, shortcut aioli, and sliced tomatoes:

Prepare protein of choice: cooked and shredded chicken breast;  grilled steak; broiled or fried sliced tofu; or pork, either pulled, carnitas, chorizo, or in this case, chilorio (click here for full recipe):

Pour enough oil into a small pot to have about two inches (5 cm) in depth. Bring to about 360ºF (182ºC).  Fry the plantain halves for just one minute, turning to crisp all around.  Remove onto a heatproof board or frying pan, then flatten while still hot, with a spatula or other utensil (I used a metal measuring cup with flat bottom, photo below, left).  Return flattened pieces to the hot oil, frying one by one, and flipping to brown on both sides (photo below, right):

Transfer to paper towels, to remove excess oil:

In the photo above, notice that the slices have different finishes; this depends on the ripeness of the plantain.  The two lighter, denser slices on the left, are from a firm, partially ripened plantain, while the other three on the right, are from fully ripened plantains.  The fully ripened slices tend to swell as they are fried, and absorb more oil, but patting with paper towels solves the issue, and they are sweeter and more flavourful, so it is a matter of taste which ones to pick for frying.  In general, Mexican dishes use the fully ripened more, while Central and South American cooks favour the greener ones.

To assemble and serve the jibaritos, immediately after frying and removing excess oil, place one slice of fried plantain on each serving plate; spread aioli on top, then pile up with lettuce, protein of choice, cheese (if using), jalapeños, tomatoes and guacamole, to taste, and top with another plantain slice:

This is a calorific, but flavourful sandwich!  Lots of different textures and colours, as well.  Needless to say, my daughter and I enjoyed our jibaritos very much, and even my husband, who usually does not like fried food, really liked it.  My other daughter got to try them with vegetarian chorizo instead of chilorio, and she loved hers, too. I would not recommend it as a staple on the family meal rotation, but as an infrequent treat is definitely worth trying. 

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As I mentioned in my previous post, my daughter gave me a little pot especially designed for deep frying that comes with its own thermometer, which is inserted through the upper lip of the pot, so it is in the right position for accurate readings. It also has a lid, and when opened, a draining grid may be placed there to remove excess oil from the food. The green enamel is very pretty, but might chip where the lid touches; I did not mind, but there is also an option with a stainless steel finish.

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I am sharing my recipe at  Full Plate Thursday #707 with Miz Helen @ Miz Helen’s Country Cottage.

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I am bringing my recipe to Thursday Favourite Things #673 with Bev @ Eclectic Red Barn, Pam @ An Artful Mom, Katherine @ Katherine’s Corner, Amber @ Follow the Yellow Brick Home, and Linda @ Crafts a la Mode.

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I am joining Fiesta Friday #550 with Angie @ Fiesta Friday, this week co-hosting with Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook.