Fried Pork and Plantains
This Cameroonian street food will quickly become a favorite! Tender well seasoned pork and plantains are fried and tossed together in an unforgettable umami-loaded sauce. You will love every bite whether for dinner or entertaining guests! It is sure to please everyone.
Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 5-6 pounds pork I used a combination of ribs without bones cut into cubes, pork cushion meat and pork feet. You could use pork chops cut into bite-size pieces.
- 6 sprigs basil 1 sprig is similar to about 1 stem of basil with leaves on top, roughly chopped
- 2 thumb sizes ginger rinsed, peeled, and cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 bulbs of garlic 20-23 cloves, peeled and rinsed
- 1 leek cut into chunks
- 6 sprigs leafy celery Chinese celery or sub with parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons whole white pepper
- 2 pebe AKA Ehuru or African nutmeg
- 1 habanero or scotch bonnet pepper
- Salt and Maggi seasoning cubes to taste
- 6 half-ripe plantains Yellow but still very firm to the touch
- ¼ cup flavorless oil for the spices
- Oil for deep frying
For Serving
- Thinly sliced onions
- Minced parsley
- Mayonnaise
Instructions
- Prep the pork: All the pork should be cut into bite-size pieces. Thoroughly rinse the meat and transfer it to a large pot.
- Blend the spices: To a blender, add the basil, ginger, garlic, leek, celery leaves or parsley, white pepper, pebe (African nutmeg), and habanero pepper. Add a cup of water and blend into a smooth paste.
- Season pork: Add salt and Maggi seasoning cubes to the pork to taste. Add one cup of the spices and herbs you just blended. Stir well to combine.
- Cook pork: Bring the seasoned pork to a simmer on medium-heat. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Simmer sauce: To a smaller pot add a cup of oil, the remaining spice blend, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 2 Maggi seasoning cubes. Bring to a simmer on medium heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir well to combine after it's done simmering. Reserve for later use.
- Prep plantains: Cut both ends of a plantain with a knife. Make a slit on the plantain length-wise, being careful not to dig into its flesh. Using your hands, carefully remove the skin of the plantain. Use a pairing knife to clean off any bits of skin left. Repeat the process with the rest of the plantains.
- Deep-fry: Heat up oil for deep-frying. Add enough oil to a heavy bottom pot, up to about 4 inches. Let the oil heat up then add the plantains and deep-fry them whole. When the plantains turn a light brown color, remove them and place on paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Let that cool a little before the next step.
- Chop plantains: Place a whole-fried plantain on a chopping board. Drain some pork from its stock and add to the plantains. Chop the plantain into bite-size pieces. If some pork pieces are too big, chop them up too. Toss the plantain and pork together.
- Fry again: Return the bite-size plantains and pork to heated oil for deep frying. Deep-fry until they both crisp up and turn golden brown. Remove from the oil and place on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
- Toss together: Place a skillet on medium-high heat. Add about two tablespoons of the reserved sauce from earlier. Add the bite-size fried plantains and pork. Toss well to coat with the sauce. Repeat the chopping, frying and tossing process to make more servings.
- Serve: Serve hot with a scoop of mayonnaise and garnished with thinly sliced onions and minced parsley.
Video
Notes
- There is no need to add water before cooking the pork. As the meat cooks, it releases enough of its juices to cook it until tender. However, if the pork you use is dryer, add a little water to help it cook.
- The meat I use cooked in very little time. If your pork is tougher, cook for as long as you need until tender.
- You can replace pork with other kinds of meat like chicken thighs or beef chuck roast.
- Don't miss the important tips in the post!
Nutrition
Calories: 1171kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 89g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 45g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 204mg | Sodium: 167mg | Potassium: 1508mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 1813IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 4mg