Fufú de plátano and Matajibaro

The story goes that Cuban mambis often consumed this pureed green plantain mixed with crushed pork rinds, with African origins. During the Spanish-Cuban-American War in the late 19th century, the Spanish spoken in Cuba was perhaps for the first time influenced by English. American and Cuban soldiers shared the vicissitudes of war on the same camps during the conflict that ultimately drove Spain from the island in 1898.

Legend has it that, intrigued by the appearance of this unfamiliar dish, American soldiers asked what it was and if it could be eaten. But faced with the language barrier, the only thing apparently understood in the question was the reiteration of the English word food, food? accompanied by the typical hand movement with the fingers pointing together towards the mouth, to which the Creoles responded with approval; yes of course, fu - fu...to eat. This is how the name of such a popular dish was probably established, particularly among Cuban peasants.
So how do you make fufú de plátano? It's quite simple.


Method of preparation :
Cut the green plantains into three pieces. Put them in a saucepan to boil with salt and lemon juice. The skin is removed after cooking.
When they are soft, turn off the heat and keep them in water until needed.
In another saucepan or flat pan over low heat, add the oil, garlic, onion and then the boiled bananas, which must be pureed during frying, mashing the bananas in the pan with a fork. Mix all the ingredients well.
You can add more salt or pepper if you like.
Finally add the chopped pork rinds and mix them with the banana puree.
Make sure to serve it hot.
Fufú de plátano is a very popular food among Cubans and preferably used to garnish meats, accompanied by rice and vegetables, and it usually replaces the typical mashed potatoes that we miss so much in Cuba.
On the other hand, there is old Matajíbaro. It is a typical Camagüey dish, favored by the neighbors of this region, and traditionally served even today as much as ajiaco. In many regions of the country, a banana fufú or machuquillo is made, which consists of adding meat or pork rinds to a mashed banana, but none of them are the same as the Matajíbaro de Camagüey, just because of its slightly different preparation.


Preparation:
You have to grind the pork rinds and cut the pork meat into very small pieces.
Peel and cut the plantains to prepare the tostones, i.e. slices 2 to 3 cm in size. Then cut the garlic finely.
Sauté the pork and set aside with the rinds.
Then fry the plantains in the form of tostones, and then grind or crush them in a mortar.
Finally brown the garlic in a little pork fat until it is golden brown, and then add the bananas with the pork and the rinds to mix everything together, stirring constantly.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper before turning off the heat. Serve hot.
We are then ready to taste an excellent Matajíbaro. A food which, for its richness and nutritional sufficiency, can be considered a main course.
Enjoy your meal everybody.