I grew up having flank steak on the grill. I met an Italian woman who had lived in Venezuela and Argentina, after I moved to Chicago and she told me about how she boils and sheds flank steak. I insisted that she teach me how to do it. She boiled the flank steak for about 1 1/2 hours in water. Something about that just didn't felt right to me, even though I really liked the taste. So I make my Pabellon Criollo in the slow cooker. It seems to make less of a mess and makes the sauce a bit richer. It is traditionally served with rice, black beans, and fried ripe plantains. <br /> <br />So enter this great restaurant in Chicago called Belly Shack. They serve a spicy tofu sandwich on crispy plantains in place of bread. I love it and it is where I got the inspiration to use the plantains of the traditional dish as sweet salty vehicle to serve the meat on. <br /> <br />Next, it needed a little vegetable texture added to the sandwich. My family's cole slaw recipe (I have also posted it on this site: Schuler's Cole Slaw) was perfect for this sandwich. It is made with whipped cream, sugar and caraway. This compliments the plantains and shredded beef. <br /> <br />In the end, you have a unique sandwich to serve your friends. Bonus: It's gluten-free. - MyCommunalTable

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