Tostones are low carb Latin American side dish everyone will love. They are usually deep fried but you can make them in a cast iron (or stainless steel) pan with about an inch of good fat oil like avocado or coconut oil. If you have bacon grease or Lard, they are even better!
Slice the tips of the plantains with a knife, then cut 1 or 2 slits in the skin down the length of the plantain. If the peel does not lift off easily you can loosen it by soaking the plantains in a bowl of water with about 1 tablespoon of salt for 10 to 15 minutes.
Slice the peeled plantain crosswise into disks ¾ to 1 inch wide.
In a large skillet, heat your fat of choice over medium heat until shimmering, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully add the disks to the heated fat, cooking on each side for 2-4 minutes, or until they have turned a darker, more golden color. Do not allow to brown.
Remove the disks from the oil and flatten, using a tostones press or a sturdy glass/jar or flat meat mallet (I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THIS METHOD. Read how I did mine above in the post, using the parchment paper)
Return the flattened plantain disks to the hot oil and fry for an additional 2-3 minutes on each side, or until crispy and browned. You will likely need to work in batches to fry the flattened disks.
Add extra cooking fat as needed, because these will absorb quite a bit of fat, as they cook.
Top with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt and a garnish of cilantro and serve immediately; tostones do not reheat well. Serve with Mojo de Ajo (recipe below) or with your favorite main dish.
Mojo de Ajo
Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. The olive oil should bubble gently but do not brown (overcook) the garlic.Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days.