Mofongo and Kinship Community Food Center Interview with Vincent Noth. The guest Chef is Orlando Pacheco, from the Workforce Development Program at Kinship.
When we think about Puerto Rico, we generally remember the beautiful beaches, the amazing sunsets, the piña colada, and mofongo, which are often considered the most popular Puerto Rican dish.
Mofongo with Green Plantains
Mofongo is made with fried mashed green plantains (the greener the better), mashed garlic, and pieces of crunchy chicharrón. You mash the Plantains to get a consistency that is neither too soft nor too hard so that it can form a half-sphere or molded into the shape of a bowl and in this recipe, stuff it with fried pork shoulder.
Mofongo – Classic Puerto Rican Dish
If you like Puerto Rican recipes, you probably love Mofongo. Similar to other classic side dishes like maduros or Tostones, it’s hard to visit a Puerto Rican restaurant without trying Mofongo.
Because of the neutral flavor of plantains seasoned with salt (from the pork rinds) and garlic, mofongo is a classic Puerto Rican side dish that pairs with just about anything savory and/or saucy.
Plantains are a staple in any Caribbean kitchen, and the delicious mofongo is one of the best plantain recipes. If I had to define mofongo in a word, that would probably be umami (savory), there are so many strong flavors in this plantain dish, but they somehow manage to work together. It truly is an unforgettable dish.
What is Mofongo?
Classic plantain mofongo is a dish consisting of fried plantains, mashed and mixed with garlic paste and chicharrón (crispy pork skin). Traditionally, you serve mofongo in a pilón, a wooden bow (like part of the mortar and pestle).
Kinship Community Food Center and Riverwest Food Pantry
In the late 1970s, members of St. Casimir Catholic Parish and Gaenslen Milwaukee Public School collaborated with the East Side Housing Action Committee (ESHAC) to be a resource for the underserved and undernourished of the community. Out of this shared effort, the Riverwest Food Pantry was born.
From 1979 to 2012, the Riverwest Food Pantry’s mission was focused on making food available to those in need. Over those years, its volunteers generously served hundreds of thousands in our community.
In 2013, the Riverwest Food Pantry became a 501(c)(3) non-profit to expand its mission, using food as a means of building community and addressing the wider challenges of health, poverty, and social isolation. People of all backgrounds gathering around food grew into a community where it became harder to tell “who was a shopper and who was a volunteer.” In addition to the food distribution initiatives, programs evolved to include a mission internship, an emphasis on healthful nutrition, food gatherings, crisis assistance, and mentoring, mission internships, and organic produce grown from our community gardens and hoop house farm.
By 2020, the culture and initiatives of the Riverwest Food Pantry had evolved beyond the traditional pantry model. The Riverwest Food Pantry reframed this project to a new “community food center” model, envisioning an evermore holistic and relational approach to addressing hunger in Milwaukee. In 2022, it was renamed the Kinship Community Food Center (https://www.kinshipmke.org/) to better reflect the foundational belief that all transformation starts with relationships.
Equipment
- No special equipment needed
Ingredients
Puerto Rican Mofongo
- 1 lb pork shoulder cut intgo small cubes
- ½ lb pork skin/rinds crushed
- 4 green plantains
- 6 garlic cloves
- Sazon w/ achote goya
- Salt pepper,
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
- In 1 cup oil, fry the cubed pork shoulder
- Set fried pork sjhoulder aside
- In heated oil, fry the 4 green plantains that have been cut into ¾" slices
- Remove fried plantains from the oil and mash them
- In a bowl, and the mashed plantains with 1 pound fried pork skins
- Combine the plantains and pork rinds by hand
- Add 4 garlic cloves, mashed (about 2 tablespoons)
- Season with salt to taste
- Add the cooked pork shoulder to the bowl and combine
- Using a small greased, round bowl, pack the Mofongo into the bowl
- On a plate, turn the bowl upside down, to make a mound of Mofongo on the plate
- Serve with rice and any acoompaning sauce
Video
Nutrition
Cooking With Milwaukee Community Leaders
I do a short interview with my guest, talk about their work in the community, and then cook something at our condo building. They pick whatever we are going to cook and I act as their sous chef. You can view the previous Cooking/Interview at the links listed below.
Wendy Baumann (President of WWBIC) Interview – Tuna Bien Masabe Jose Andres Recipe –https://youtu.be/wGn3YclrPds. The recipe article is at https://cookingsecretsformen.com/2022/11/20/tunabienmasabe
Sadhna Lindvall (President of the Shorewood Foundation) Interview – Pastelillos (Dominican empanadas) https://youtu.be/PNxm3O8l4pE. The recipe article is at https://cookingsecretsformen.com/2022/11/28/dominican-empanadas-pastelillos/
Wendell Willis (Former MPS Foundation Exec Director) Interview – Steak Fajitas – Easy Margarita Recipe – https://youtu.be/0G12gTts1Go. The recipe article is https://cookingsecretsformen.com/2022/12/06/steak-fajitas-wendell-willis-interview/
Ricardo Diaz (Former Exec Director of UCC) Interview – Cuban Tostones and Plantains Recipe – https://youtu.be/49u0OR7fa8sThe Recipe article is https://cookingsecretsformen.com/2022/12/21/sweet-plantains-vs-tostones-ricardo-diaz-interview/
Cooking With Milwaukee Community Leaders
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson – Copycat McDonald’s Breakfast Sandwiches – YouTube Video is at https://youtu.be/eWkN4nI5ueE The Recipe article is https://cookingsecretsformen.com/2023/01/16/copycat-mcdonalds-breakfast-sandwiches
Joanne Anton, Director of Giving for Herb Kohl Philanthropies – Spanakopita, The Youtube video can be seen at Joanne Anaton -Spanakopita. The recipe article is at https://cookingsecretsformen.com/2023/02/09/spanakopita-and-joanne-anton-interview/
Cecelia Gore is the Executive Director of the Milwaukee Brewers Community Foundation. Cecelia is listed in the 2023 Milwaukee Business Journal’s Top 100 Powerbrokers in Milwaukee. After our interview, Cecelia shows us how to make the Stetson Salad. The YouTube video is here – https://youtu.be/_bbXPP_JzAo The recipe can be found here – https://cookingsecretsformen.com/2023/02/16/stetson-salad-and-cecelia-gore
Willie Hines, Executive Director, Executive Director, Housing Authority of Milwaukee – Hoppin’ John (Video is at https://youtu.be/x02t8JJsr_g) The Recipe article is at https://cookingsecretsformen.com/2023/02/23/hoppin-john-and-willie-hines-interview/
Joel Brennan President of Greater Milwaukee Committee – Grilled Rib Eye & Salmon (Surf & Turf) Video is at – https://youtu.be/Y5Ji1Loh4dk The Recipe article is at https://cookingsecretsformen.com/2023/03/06/grilled-surf-and-turf-joel-brennan-interview/
Anthony McHenry, CEO, Milwaukee Academy of Science (MAS) – McHenry’s Famous Chili Video is at – https://youtu.be/a0j5t9sl0Kc The Recipe article is at https://cookingsecretsformen.com/2023/03/15/mchenrys-famous-chili-and-anthony-mchenry-interview/
Mark Mone, Chancellor, Univ or Wisconsin Milwaukee – Chicken Parmesan – https://youtu.be/SS1KUGo31Xg The Recipe article is at – https://cookingsecretsformen.com/2023/03/20/chicken-parmesan-mark-mone-uwm/
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If you like this recipe for Puerto Rican Mofongo, then you should try our recipe for Papas Rellenas from our Foods of Peru Collab,
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Another great episode of “Cooking with Milwaukee Community Leaders”
I’ve never heard of Mofongo. But it sure does look delicious Charlie!