Puerto Rican dish mofongo was introduced by West African slaves taken to the Caribbean during the colonial era. It borrows its influences from West Africa, Spain, North America and Taino. Mofongo is an Angolan-Kikongo phrase mfwenge-mfwenge meaning, “a great amount of anything at all”. It’s likened to the West African fufu, made with cassava, yams and other starchy vegetables.
This is one of Puerto Rico’s beloved comfort foods. It’s easy to prepare and is usually eaten for lunch or dinner or served as a side dish. Mofongo is cooked using fried plantains, garlic and chicharrón, and crispy pork skin.
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Mofongo is served with beef or chicken broth (caldo de Pollo), vegetable stock or red shrimp sauce (camarones guisados) , in a wooden mortar. Now that you know the history behind the dish and the ingredients needed, here is a step-by-step guide to how to make the Puerto Rican mofongo.
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Puerto Rican Mofongo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
- Peel 8-10 pieces of green plantains.
- 1 tablespoon of garlic.
- 1 cup of chicharron, pork rinds.
- 1 cup of chicken stock.
- ½ a teaspoon of salt to taste.
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Beef Broth Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Less than a kilogram of beef.
- 1 red onion.
- A tablespoon of mashed garlic.
- A cilantro.
- ¼ of oregano.
- Salt to tase.
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Tools
- Wooden mortar and pestle.
- Cast iron skillet or deep fryer.
- Paper towel.
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Instructions
Let the oil heat on medium heat in a deep fryer. Proceed to deep the plantain slices in the oil. Let them fry until golden brown. Move them around while frying to make sure they cook evenly. After the plantains are ready, place them on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
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Place the garlic cloves in a pestle and mortar, together with the chicharron and mash them. Once done, add the plantains to the mixture and mash them together. If you don’t have a pestle and mortar, use a bowl. When done, shape them into balls and serve. Alternatively, you can make a dome shape using a bowl and serve. et aside to prepare the broth.
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Beef broth
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan under medium heat. Pour in the beef and cook until it browns. Add garlic and onion and gently stir. Add water, cilantro, salt and oregano and let it boil for about one hour. Next, sieve and remove the solids.
Serve the mofongo with the beef broth.
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Storing Mofongo
Mofongo is best eaten fresh but if you have remains, put them in an airtight container for up to three days. When you are ready to eat it, reheat it on a stove, and add water or broth for moisture.
Puerto Rican Mofongo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
- 8-10 pieces of fried plantain.
- 1 tablespoon of garlic.
- 1 cup of chicharron.
- 1 cup of chicken stock.
- ½ a teaspoon of salt to taste.
- Beef Broth
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Less than a kilogram of beef.
- 1 red onion.
- A tablespoon of mashed garlic.
- A cilantro.
- ¼ of oregano.
- Salt to taste.
Instructions
- Let the oil heat on medium heat in a deep fryer. Once that’s done, deep the plantain slices in the oil. Let them fry until golden brown. Move them around while frying to make sure they cook evenly. Once the plantains are well cooked, place them on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
- Place the garlic cloves in a pestle and mortar, together with the chicharron and mash them. Once done, add the plantains to the mixture and mash them together. If you don’t have a pestle and mortar, use a bowl. When done, shape them into balls and serve. Alternatively, you can make a dome shape using a bowl and serve. et aside to prepare the broth.
- Beef broth
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan under medium heat. Pour in the beef and cook until it brown. Once that’s done, add garlic and onion and gently stir. Add water, cilantro, salt and oregano and let it boil for about one hour. Once it’s properly cooked, sieve and remove the solids.
- Serve the mofongo with the beef broth.
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Nutrition
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