Venezuelan Patacones

       The patacón , tostón, tachino or frito is a food based on fried flattened pieces of green plantain , traditional in the cuisine of several countries in America , mainly from the Caribbean basin such as Colombia , Cuba , Ecuador , Haiti , Honduras , Costa Rica , Nicaragua , Panama , Puerto Rico , Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

       To talk about patacón we must first make reference to the banana, the main product to make this delicious dish. In Venezuela, the different forms of what in other countries are known as plantain are distinguished. We know the small, thin-skinned in our country as cambur, its pulp is white and it is very easy to open. It is usually eaten as fruit. We know the other one of larger size, with a thicker skin and yellow pulp as a banana.

       Tostón is a meal made from fried flattened pieces of green plantain. It is also known as patacón although experts consider that tostón and patacón are 2 different things. Of course, they have in common that the banana must be green because if it is not, the results are not the same.

 

       In Venezuela it is popularly consumed throughout the territory. On the Venezuelan coasts it is served as an outline for fish dishes, in restaurants and food stalls near the beaches. There are different versions but the base is always the same, some put grated white cheese, many sauces, hints of spice, even with meat or vegetarians.

       The south of Lake Maracaibo is a banana region par excellence in Venezuela, due to its tropical climate, richness of the soil and the tradition that is maintained by family inheritance. Its cultivation is carried out in plots, herds and farms. The quality of the bananas from the South of the Lake allows them to be distinguished from other bananas, due to their size, their more succulent and meaty consistency, with a sweeter flavor.

       Therefore, in the State of Zulia, where it becomes an emblematic dish, it is known as patacón and it is usually served with grated salad, white and / or yellow cheese, ham, leg, tomato sauce, pink sauce, mayonnaise and mustard. , and is sold as fast food; It is usually done by cutting the banana in an elongated way and putting the ingredients on it or between two plantains.

Patacón o tostón.

INGREDIENTS TO PREPARE A PATACÓN

       The patacones can be prepared with different fillings, basically it is added as a filling: tomato, onion, lettuce or cabbage, cheese (the one of your preference), a type of meat (generally shredded meat, but you can add the one of your preference), tomato sauce, mayonnaise and mustard or whatever sauce you like.

       Below I show you a list of ingredients and the procedure to prepare some patacones:

For the Patacón:

1 Green plantain (green banana). (Preferably)

1/2 liter of corn oil.

Salt.

Oregano.

Garlic powder.

 

For the filling:

Hand cheese, mozzarella or other similar. (Mandatory)

Lettuce. (Mandatory)

Tomato. (Mandatory)

Green sauce. (See recipe) (Required)

Ketchup and mustard. (Mandatory)

Baked leg. (Optional)

Greased meat. (Optional)

Chilled chicken. (Optional)

Grilled or breaded chicken breast. (Optional)

Grilled smoked pork chop. (Optional)

Ham. (Optional)

Yellow cheese. (Optional)

PROCESS:

      We peel the plantains, then we cut them in half and we immerse them in hot oil to fry them until they brown a little, then we remove them and place them on a board to flatten them with a plate or a kitchen press, then we fry them again ha until well cooked and crispy. Later we can remove them from the oil and let it rest for a few minutes to place the filling.

      In the following links you can see two ways to prepare a Venezuelan patacón, one is in English audio and the other in Spanish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDH6NVkp880

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n-wx_vJJMU

ANNEX