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Grilled Ripe Plantains (Plátanos Maduros a la Parrilla)

By Lourdes Castro

3.9

(18)

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Grilled Ripe Plantains (<em>Plátanos Maduros a la Parrilla</em>)Tara Donne

Editor's note: Chef, nutritionist, and cooking teacher Lourdes Castro shared this recipe from her cookbook, Latin Grilling. It's part of a festive Cuban party menu she created for Epicurious.

Plantains, ripe or unripe, are a staple of Cuban cooking. And while everyone loves the ripe ones (maduros), no one ever wants to make them. Typically deep-fried, they are a mess to make and never seem to come out with that candylike coating you get at good restaurants. This recipe solves the problem: simply grilling very ripe plantains and basting them with a butter-sugar glaze is all it takes to re-create the good stuff. These are a must at all my family cookouts.

Cooking notes

Advance preparation
You can prepare the butter glaze a few hours in advance. It will thicken when cool and will need to be reheated.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Serves 8

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar
4 very ripe (black) plantains

Preparation

  1. Prepare the butter glaze

    Step 1

    Place the butter and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved in it. Add the vinegar and stir well. Remove from the heat and set aside.

  2. Prepare, grill, and serve the plantains

    Step 2

    Heat your grill to high (550°F) and close the lid. Wait at least 15 minutes before lowering the heat to medium-high (450°F) and continuing. Oil the grill grates with a vegetable oil-soaked paper towel held with a long pair of tongs.

    Step 3

    Slice the unpeeled plantains in half lengthwise and place them cut side down on the grill. Close the lid and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the plantains over and baste the cut sides of the plantains with the butter glaze. Close the lid and continue cooking for another 15 minutes. Brush a bit more glaze on the plantains before removing them from the grill.

    Step 4

    Serve the plantains in their skins while hot from the grill.

Reprinted with permission from Latin Grilling by Lourdes Castro, © 2011 Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. A Miami native, Lourdes Castro has served as a personal chef and nutritionist for high-profile clients, such as Cristina Saralegui and professional athletes, and as an associate of the James Beard Foundation. A highly regarded Latin chef and cooking teacher, Castro is the author of Simply Mexican and Eat, Drink, Think in Spanish. She currently teaches food science at New York University and is the director of the Culinary Academy at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida. Find out more at Lourdescastro.com
TagsFruit DessertDessertCubanCaribbeanPlantainVegetableNut FreeGluten FreeEasy5 Ingredients or FewerGrillingKwanzaaCookbooks

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