Frizzled Spicy Beef and Tostones (Fried Plantains)

I had leftover very tender pot roast in the refrigerator and two plantains that I picked up on a whim at the grocery store the other day.  And I have two gallons of lard from the happy pastured pork we bought this fall. All of this made for a quick after gym meal.  


Plantains:  Melt some lard in a deep pan (about 3/4 inch should do it).  Peel, then slice the plantains about 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal.  Drop in the hot lard.  Fry gently until golden, remove, cool slightly, and then smash with a flat-bottomed object (I used a mortar).  Re-fry until a slightly darker golden and remove.  Surprisingly, these pick up very little oil. I sprinkled them with salt after the second frying.


Frizzled Beef:  I made up the word "frizzled" to describe a shredded meat fried until there are some crispy bits along with tender meat.  It almost has a hash-like consistency.  I shredded the remains of the pot roast and spread it thinly in a frying pan.  There was enough fat in the roast to frizzle the beef.  I sprinkled the beef with a chili powder mix as it was frying. A little sour cream on the side is nice for dipping but you can easily leave it out if you don't do dairy.


Result:

Thanks to Caroline and Alex for help with the plantains!