INGREDIENTS:
- 4 sweet plantains
- 1/4 pound of pork meat with fat or bacon, cut into 1/4 inch squares
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, mashed
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
- Cut ends off plantains and discard.
- Slice each plantain into two-inch chunks.
- Make a light cut into skin with knife along one edge. DO NOT PEEL.
- In large pot, add plantains to chicken stock.
- Bring to boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer until tender.
- For meat, you need pork with plenty of fat — either well marbled or with a fat layer or both. We've had good luck with de-boned pork ribs. Or have the butcher cut something to order.
- Slice meat into small pieces about one inch.
- Add salt to taste.
- Place in large sauce pan and add water to just barely cover.
- Bring to boil and simmer, uncovered until all water has boiled away.
- Fry pork pieces in rendered fat just until brown, but NOT crispy! The meat should be tender and stringy.
- Remove meat .
- Sauté garlic and onion in rendered fat over medium heat, three to five minutes.
- During last minute add lemon juice.
- Remove fully cooked plantains from broth (do not discard broth) and peel.
- Mash plantains with a little broth — just enough to make a soft, thick paste – like mashed potatoes.
- Mash together with garlic and lemon and fried pork. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot.
NOTE: Some cooks use green plantains, some use very ripe plantains for this dish. We like to use something in between. We use medium ripe plantains — not black, but a little softer texture.
