Source: Pitmaster Joe Pearce

PREP TIME

20 mins

COOK TIME

30 mins

SERVING SIZE

5

What You’ll Need

1 Prairie Fresh® pork tenderloin (1-1 1/2 pounds)

6 slices Prairie Fresh USA Prime® hickory smoked bacon

 

4-6 green plantains

5 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons granulated onion

2 tablespoons jalapeno salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Place bacon on an oven-safe sheet pan. Rub both sides of the bacon with brown sugar and jalapeno salt. Cook the bacon for 10-12 minutes to desired crispiness.
  2. While the bacon is cooking, peel and cut the plantains into 1-inch thick rounds and set aside. 
  3. Prepare your pork by cutting the tenderloin into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Once slices are cut, then cube each slice into four sections. Place all pork cubes into a large mixing bowl and add flour, salt, pepper, cayenne, and onion. Mix thoroughly and set aside for 5 minutes. 
  4. Once the bacon is done cooking, remove sheet pan from the oven and remove the bacon from the pan and place bacon on a plate lined with a paper towel. Carefully transfer the  bacon grease in the sheet pan to a fry pan. Heat to medium heat, just before the grease starts to smoke. 
  5. Add pork to the bacon grease. Cook pork until all sides are browned and pork is cooked thoroughly to an internal temperature of 145-165 F. Remove pork from oil and set aside to keep warm. Reserve bacon grease.
  6. In a deep-sided saucepan, fill with about one-half inch vegetable oil. Heat to 350 F and deep fry the plantain until tender but not mushy. Remove plantains from oil and place in a bowl and keep warm.
  7. With a pestle and mortar or medium-sized bowl, add 1-2 garlic cloves and a teaspoon of salt. Mash into a paste. Add 4-5 pieces of fried plantain and 1 tablespoon of the bacon/pork grease and continue to mash. Once plantains are mashed into large chunks, add the fried pork pieces and mix/mash until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Repeat this process until the plantains and pork are all mixed.
  8. Shape the mofongo into rounds and place in the center of plate or bowl. Garnish each with 1 slice of the sweet and spicy bacon cut in half and thinly sliced scallions. Serve and enjoy.