But First: What Does Jibarito Mean?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe word jibarito<\/em> is a Puerto Rican endearment for a humble farmer\/field worker, the island\u2019s homegrown take on a hillbilly. In the way that Uncle Sam represents the U.S., a jibaro symbolizes Puerto Rico. The iconic image of a noble farmer, a machete in one hand and a straw pava hat on his head, is used in folksy ways all over the island as a symbol of authenticity and Boricua pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe sandwich likely got its name because it\u2019s made with one of Puerto Rico\u2019s most affordable, locally grown and beloved ingredients: the plantain<\/a>. To make this sandwich, young, very green plantains must be used. When smashed and fried, they are called tostones<\/a> and are one of the island\u2019s favorite sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe secret to the sandwich\u2019s popularity is the explode-your-taste-buds interaction between the salty-crispy plantains and the juicy-savory beef. Add a dash of adobo to the marinade, throw in lettuce, tomatoes and onion, plus a creamy slather of garlicky mayonnaise, and it\u2019s no wonder this sandwich has become a Puerto Rican culinary hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, Michelle Ezratty Murphy, one of our favorite Puerto Rican food cooks, had never even heard of a jibarito until she saw the sandwich listed by a street vendor a few years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe jibarito is new to me,\u201d she explains. \u201cGrowing up in Puerto Rico, you would have thought I would have eaten it at least a dozen times, but it wasn\u2019t until I moved to Arizona, that my husband and I happened upon a small Puerto Rican food truck. The owners were from Ponce<\/a>, and they had jibaritos on the menu.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWho Made the First Jibarito?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The truth is there there is no way she could have eaten one when she was growing up in San Juan. The jibarito wasn\u2019t even invented until sometime in the 1990s, depending on which origin story you believe. Perhaps the most accepted version of the jibarito sandwich\u2019s start <\/a>credits the owner of Borinquen restaurant in Humboldt Park<\/a>, a Chicago neighborhood known for its Puerto Rican heritage. In 1996, Juan \u201cPeter\u201d Figueroa came up with the idea of using two huge tostones to bookend a beef sandwich, inspired by a similar dish from Venezuela called patacon<\/a>. An earlier story dates the creation<\/a> of the jibarito to 1991, when it was created in Aguada, Puerto Rico<\/a> by the restaurant Pl\u00e1tano Loco<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMore recently, a Chicago restaurant named Jibaritos y Mas <\/a>has taken up the mantle and gone all in on this delish dish. The popular eatery expanded the plantain sandwich\u2019s filling options to lechon (roast pork), chicken, ham and cheese, shrimp, octopus y muchos m\u00e1s. Bonus: Their jibarito is served with the most Boricua of classic sides: arroz con gandules<\/a>. Starchfest!<\/p>\n\n\n\nMichelle and her Puerto Rican-born husband Pat Murphy tasted their first jibarito that day in Arizona and were instantly smitten. \u201cWhat wouldn\u2019t I love about it?\u201d says Michelle. \u201cHuge crunchy tostones, salted and dusted with garlic powder, stuffed with marinated skirt steak and topped with crunchy onions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was jibarito love at first bite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to Make a Jibarito Sandwich<\/strong> en Casa<\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhen Michelle loves a dish, she must make it her own. \u201cI knew that I needed to cook this Puerto Rican sandwich at home,\u201d says Michelle.\u201d So, with Pat Murphy<\/a>, her husband, designated plantain peeler and official Boricua food taster, she went into her kitchen and started experimenting, she tells us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cThe classic way to make a jibarito is with some sort of marinated beef, typically shredded or roasted. I was inspired to grill mine like a carne asada, which is one of my favorite meals. I lean towards skirt steak because it\u2019s a tender flavorful steak that marinates well. When sliced against the grain (on the bias), it\u2019s a perfect match for sandwiches because it\u2019s so tender. I love how it piles nicely on the jibarito and looks really pretty, too. Honestly, it\u2019s the only way I would make a jibarito, as it mimics the classic bistec sandwich, which can also be made with lettuce, tomato and skinny fries,\u201c she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to Fry the Plantain \u201cBread\u201d<\/strong> and Crispy Onions<\/h3>\n\n\n\nNext up, plantains. \u201cMy husband is very particular about the way we cut and smash the platanos. We were going to use our tostonera (plantain press), but found it just wasn\u2019t wide enough. We thought about using a can, but that didn\u2019t work,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo my next idea was to use a tortilla press. Perfect! We smashed the plantains to the perfect thickness and width.\u201d Michelle admits that figuring out how to make the oversized tostones was a little daunting at first. \u201cIt’s a little time consuming, because it takes a double fry to cook them to crispiness, but certainly well worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The third challenge was to figure out was how to get crispy onions, she adds. They have to be thin and crunchy; not too thick, not too doughy. \u201cI could buy them at the store in a can, but for some reason, I just thought that wouldn\u2019t do justice. So I tested a bunch of frizzled onion recipes, and came up with what I thought gave me the best crisp. I use a combination of flour and cornstarch, which in my estimation, is the perfect fry.\u201d Michelle offers this insider tip to fellow crispy-cebolla perfection seekers. \u201cCutting the onions on a mandolin is a must, because they have to be super thin, like paper.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And then there\u2019s Michelle\u2019s final jibarito decision: What spread to use on the fried-plantain flats? Instead of garlicky mayonnaise, Michelle opted to tap her go-to condiment, another classic from Puerto Rico: Mayoketchup. Like its name says, the condiment is a mix of equal parts mayonnaise and ketchup. Essential, delicious and a crowd-pleasing must-have with papitas, Michelle knew this condiment would be a hit slathered on salty fried plantains. And it was, she reports. Her husband declared her jibarito to be the best he\u2019s had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Michelle, gracias for sharing your jibarito recipe with Familia Kitchen. It\u2019s la receta perfecta to celebrate Puerto Rican culture and heritage this week of National Puerto Rican Parades. That said, you don\u2019t need to be a Boricua to love this sandwich, Michelle recommends this recipe to \u201danyone with Latino heritage and everyone else who likes fried plantains. We\u2019ll start with my husband. If he could eat every sandwich as a jibarito, he would.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ready to Make a Puerto Rican Jibarito Sandwich?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t![\"Jibarito](\"https:\/\/familiakitchen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Jibarito-sandwich-v3-800x530.jpg\")
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The sandwich likely got its name because it\u2019s made with one of Puerto Rico\u2019s most affordable, locally grown and beloved ingredients: the plantain<\/a>. To make this sandwich, young, very green plantains must be used. When smashed and fried, they are called tostones<\/a> and are one of the island\u2019s favorite sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The secret to the sandwich\u2019s popularity is the explode-your-taste-buds interaction between the salty-crispy plantains and the juicy-savory beef. Add a dash of adobo to the marinade, throw in lettuce, tomatoes and onion, plus a creamy slather of garlicky mayonnaise, and it\u2019s no wonder this sandwich has become a Puerto Rican culinary hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, Michelle Ezratty Murphy, one of our favorite Puerto Rican food cooks, had never even heard of a jibarito until she saw the sandwich listed by a street vendor a few years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe jibarito is new to me,\u201d she explains. \u201cGrowing up in Puerto Rico, you would have thought I would have eaten it at least a dozen times, but it wasn\u2019t until I moved to Arizona, that my husband and I happened upon a small Puerto Rican food truck. The owners were from Ponce<\/a>, and they had jibaritos on the menu.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The truth is there there is no way she could have eaten one when she was growing up in San Juan. The jibarito wasn\u2019t even invented until sometime in the 1990s, depending on which origin story you believe. Perhaps the most accepted version of the jibarito sandwich\u2019s start <\/a>credits the owner of Borinquen restaurant in Humboldt Park<\/a>, a Chicago neighborhood known for its Puerto Rican heritage. In 1996, Juan \u201cPeter\u201d Figueroa came up with the idea of using two huge tostones to bookend a beef sandwich, inspired by a similar dish from Venezuela called patacon<\/a>. An earlier story dates the creation<\/a> of the jibarito to 1991, when it was created in Aguada, Puerto Rico<\/a> by the restaurant Pl\u00e1tano Loco<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More recently, a Chicago restaurant named Jibaritos y Mas <\/a>has taken up the mantle and gone all in on this delish dish. The popular eatery expanded the plantain sandwich\u2019s filling options to lechon (roast pork), chicken, ham and cheese, shrimp, octopus y muchos m\u00e1s. Bonus: Their jibarito is served with the most Boricua of classic sides: arroz con gandules<\/a>. Starchfest!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Michelle and her Puerto Rican-born husband Pat Murphy tasted their first jibarito that day in Arizona and were instantly smitten. \u201cWhat wouldn\u2019t I love about it?\u201d says Michelle. \u201cHuge crunchy tostones, salted and dusted with garlic powder, stuffed with marinated skirt steak and topped with crunchy onions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was jibarito love at first bite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When Michelle loves a dish, she must make it her own. \u201cI knew that I needed to cook this Puerto Rican sandwich at home,\u201d says Michelle.\u201d So, with Pat Murphy<\/a>, her husband, designated plantain peeler and official Boricua food taster, she went into her kitchen and started experimenting, she tells us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe classic way to make a jibarito is with some sort of marinated beef, typically shredded or roasted. I was inspired to grill mine like a carne asada, which is one of my favorite meals. I lean towards skirt steak because it\u2019s a tender flavorful steak that marinates well. When sliced against the grain (on the bias), it\u2019s a perfect match for sandwiches because it\u2019s so tender. I love how it piles nicely on the jibarito and looks really pretty, too. Honestly, it\u2019s the only way I would make a jibarito, as it mimics the classic bistec sandwich, which can also be made with lettuce, tomato and skinny fries,\u201c she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next up, plantains. \u201cMy husband is very particular about the way we cut and smash the platanos. We were going to use our tostonera (plantain press), but found it just wasn\u2019t wide enough. We thought about using a can, but that didn\u2019t work,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo my next idea was to use a tortilla press. Perfect! We smashed the plantains to the perfect thickness and width.\u201d Michelle admits that figuring out how to make the oversized tostones was a little daunting at first. \u201cIt’s a little time consuming, because it takes a double fry to cook them to crispiness, but certainly well worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The third challenge was to figure out was how to get crispy onions, she adds. They have to be thin and crunchy; not too thick, not too doughy. \u201cI could buy them at the store in a can, but for some reason, I just thought that wouldn\u2019t do justice. So I tested a bunch of frizzled onion recipes, and came up with what I thought gave me the best crisp. I use a combination of flour and cornstarch, which in my estimation, is the perfect fry.\u201d Michelle offers this insider tip to fellow crispy-cebolla perfection seekers. \u201cCutting the onions on a mandolin is a must, because they have to be super thin, like paper.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then there\u2019s Michelle\u2019s final jibarito decision: What spread to use on the fried-plantain flats? Instead of garlicky mayonnaise, Michelle opted to tap her go-to condiment, another classic from Puerto Rico: Mayoketchup. Like its name says, the condiment is a mix of equal parts mayonnaise and ketchup. Essential, delicious and a crowd-pleasing must-have with papitas, Michelle knew this condiment would be a hit slathered on salty fried plantains. And it was, she reports. Her husband declared her jibarito to be the best he\u2019s had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Michelle, gracias for sharing your jibarito recipe with Familia Kitchen. It\u2019s la receta perfecta to celebrate Puerto Rican culture and heritage this week of National Puerto Rican Parades. That said, you don\u2019t need to be a Boricua to love this sandwich, Michelle recommends this recipe to \u201danyone with Latino heritage and everyone else who likes fried plantains. We\u2019ll start with my husband. If he could eat every sandwich as a jibarito, he would.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\nWho Made the First Jibarito?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Make a Jibarito Sandwich<\/strong> en Casa<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How to Fry the Plantain \u201cBread\u201d<\/strong> and Crispy Onions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ready to Make a Puerto Rican Jibarito Sandwich?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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