Growing up, corned beef was always a staple in our pantry.  My mom kept a can or two for easy dinners during busy weeks, and that mindset has stayed with me into adulthood which is why I’m so excited to partner with Hereford Proteins. 

 My mom used to make a delicious Puerto Rican version of corned beef hash, which featured corned beef prepared with a sofrito-based sauce, diced potatoes, and served with white rice – it’s one of my favorite dishes. Hereford Corned Beef provides nutritious, shelf-stable protein and is currently giving away a year’s supply of their canned corned beef! You can enter here for a chance to win and make this recipe below on your own.

While the classic corned beef hash is quite delicious, I wanted to create a spin on another dish we grew up eating - piononos. Piononos are similar to the Puerto Rican pastelón, which was often saved for special occasions in our home because it involves quite a bit of prep work. For those who don’t know, pastelón is a beef and sweet plantain layered casserole that’s similar to lasagna. Piononos however, use the same ingredients, but require less baking time because they’re baked on a smaller scale like pinwheels.  

Normally, the fried sweet plantain is formed into a large ring, held together by toothpicks while cooking, stuffed with the beef filling, and topped with a creamy, melting cheese. The picadillo-style filing is traditionally made with ground beef, but in our family, we used corned beef instead for an extra hit of flavor that pairs nicely with the sweet plantain. That sweet and salty combo is always amazing!

I will advise that this recipe is a little involved since it does require some prep work, but aside from frying the sweet plantain slices and making the seasoned meat filling, everything left is just assembly and baking in a muffin pan. Keep in mind that using ripe plantains are key here, since they’re very pliable when cooked and easy to form into the pinwheel. You’re going to want to use plantains that are ripe, when the peels start turning a dark golden yellow to black (that’s when they’re the sweetest). It took me a little bit of planning to get this recipe right since I had to wait for my plantains to ripen enough to use.

The filling can also be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge prior to assembling if you’d like to break up the prep work the day before. And once your piononos are done, you can freeze them on a sheet tray and then store them in a plastic storage bag for an even easier dinner option in the future, which is what I often do. Let’s get cooking!

Corned Beef Piononos (Sweet Plantain and Corned Beef Pinwheels)

Cook time: 45 minutes

Yield: 1 dozen pinwheels

2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil, like canola or vegetable

2 tablespoons fresh sofrito (see note, recipe available here)

1 12oz can Hereford Corned Beef

1 14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes 

1 large bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika 

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sazón spice blend (see note)

Small pinch red pepper flakes 

Honey or sugar (optional)

4 medium to large ripe plantains, ends trimmed, skin peeled, and sliced lengthwise

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 8oz block Colby-jack cheese, grated

Note: sofrito is an herbaceous and aromatic seasoning base used in many savory dishes in Puerto Rican cuisine. You can make it fresh according to the recipe provided or purchase it in either the produce or freezer section of your grocery store. As for the sazón, it is a common spice blend and can be found in most grocery stores these days. I make my own spice blends at home to control the amount of salt in them, so keep that in mind when using it in this recipe. Taste and adjust accordingly when preparing the corned beef filling for the piononos based on which brand of sazón you may be using.

To make the corned beef filling, in a large frying pan or sauté pan, over medium heat, add the oil. Once shimmering, stir in the fresh sofrito and sauté until fragrant and warmed through, about 2-3 minutes. Next, add the corned beef and break apart with the back of a spoon or spatula, spreading it out and mixing it with the sofrito. Stir in the petite diced tomatoes and their juice, the bay leaf, cracked black pepper, smoked paprika, oregano, ground cumin, sazón spice blend, and red pepper flakes. Combine to make sure everything is well mixed.

Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add a little honey or sugar to offset the acidity of tomatoes if needed. Turn heat off, remove the pan from the stove, and set the corned beef mixture aside for later assembly.

In separate frying pan, add about 1” of neutral cooking oil and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, shallow fry the sliced ripe plantains until tender and golden brown on both sides, about 5-7 minutes. Make sure to fry in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Drain them on paper towel lined plate or wire-lined baking rack. Set aside for later assembly.

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Prep a muffin pan by spraying nonstick cooking-spray in each cup and setting it aside to bake the piononos.

Now that the components are cooked and ready, it’s time to assemble the piononos in a muffin pan. To form them, place a slice of fried sweet plantain into each cup, facing the flat side of the plantain on the outside to create a smooth edge. Next, evenly distribute the corned beef filling among each of the piononos (about 2 heaping teaspoons each). Pour two teaspoons of the beaten egg on top of each one, moving the pan a little bit to shake the egg down into the crevices. This will help the piononos keep their shape while baking and when removed from the pan. Finally, top each roll with a little bit of grated Colby-jack cheese.

Bake for 12 minutes or until the egg is set and cheese is melted. Let cool for 5 minutes and carefully remove from the muffin pan using a small offset spatula or butter knife. Serve a few piononos with steamed white rice for a great dinner or enjoy as a snack!

Just think of how many pinonos you could make at home if you win a year’s supply of Hereford Corned Beef. Don’t forget to enter here before the contest closes on May 5th, 2022!  

¡Buen provecho!