Stuffed Plantains (Rellenos De Platanos Maduros)

Title: Stuffed Plantains (Rellenos De Platanos Maduros)
Yield: 6 Servings
Categories: Meats 

Ingredients: 

           PLANTAINS---
      6    Plantains -- ripe, halve
           Unpeeled
      2 qt Water
  1 1/2 tb Salt
      2 oz Butter
    1/2 ts Salt
      2 tb Cornstarch
           FILLING---
      1 oz Salt pork -- washed and
           Diced
      2 oz Cured ham -- diced
      1 tb Vegetable oil
      1    Green pepper -- seeded
      3    Sweet chile peppers --
           Seeded
      1    Onion -- peeled
      2    Cloves garlic -- peeled
      1 ts Oregano -- crushed
      1 ts Salt
      1 lb Lean ground beef
           Tomato sauce -- *
           Vegetable oil -- for deep
           Frying


  I love Puerto Rican Food!... It's usually simple, yet rich with lots of
  cilantro and garlic!!.  Enclosed are examples of 4 dishes that can be
  simplified to taste.  I always add mucho mas cilantro, peppers and garlic
  with fresh ingredients (I never used canned foods).
  
  I prefer to also add a pinch of red chili powder just to make it
  interesting (not a traditional ingredient in Puerto Rican food).
  
  FILLING:
  
  * Enough tomato sauce so that mixture holds together and yet is quite dry.
  Combine and cook mixture for 30 minutes to 1 hr.
  
  PLANTAINS:
  
  Bring water to boil and add salt.  Add plantains and boil rapidly for 20
  minutes.  Drain, peel and mash together with butter, salt, and cornstarch.
  Allow to cool slightly.
  
  Dust hand palms with cornstarch.  Spread some of the plantain mixture in
  cupped hand and make nest in center.  Stuff center with filling. Cover with
  plantain mixture and shape into balls.  Repeat to make 16 stuffings.
  
  Deep-fry at 375 degrees F until golden brown. Remove and drain on absorbent
  paper.
  
  Tammie K Nakamura 
  
  Recipe By     : From Puerto Rican Cookery   ISBN 0-88289-411-0
  
  File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mmdja006.zip