A couple days ago, I was talking to a supplier for my 7-to-5 and we were catching up seeing we hadn't seen each other since before the holidays. As his wife has a very boisterous family, the holidays were full of parties. I found out that pork is a major part of holiday cuisine in Puerto Rico where the supplier lives. And I learned of a dish that is made in PR called Mofongo. The way it's made seemed easy enough and I found the info about the side dish on About.com:

You can't walk into a self-respecting Puerto Rican restaurant and not see mofongo on the menu. It's a must-try for first-time visitors who want to claim to have sampled the local fare. Essentially, mofongo is a mashed mound of plantains into which a combination of seafood, meat, or vegetables is added. It can be served as a side dish or a main course accompanied typically by beans and rice.

To me it sounds like a seasoned mashed potato, but instead of potato, plantain is used (yes, I'm repeating what the about said). I'm also interested because I like most things latin, even though I can't grasp the language. As soon as I make the dish, I'll post it with a review of it's taste and if it will be added to my list of dishes I make.

Here is the recipe thanks to Epicurean.com

Ingredients:
3 green plaintains
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb. Crisp fried pork rinds
4 cups water
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
Optional: fried bacon, lard or vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Peel plaintains. Cut into one inch slices. Soak for 15 minutes in salt and water. Drain well.
2. Heat fat or oil(350 degrees if you are using a deep fryer). Add plaintain slices and fry for 15 minutes but do not brown. Drain on paper towel.
3. In a mortar(for pounding), crush garlic cloves and sprinkle with salt, add olive oil to the mixture and keep pounding.
4. Crush a portion of the fried plaintains slices and the pork. Add some of the garlic and olive oil mixture and keep pounding.
5. Spoon the mixture and shape into two inch balls. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you use all the ingredients.
6. Place in oven pan and keep warm until you are ready to serve.

Suggestions: Prepare chicken broth and pour over mofongo, so it will be juicy. Enjoy