Masaco de platano is one of my favorite foods. It's traditionally eaten at tea time (la hora del tecito). The funny thing is that at tea time more Bolivians drink coffee than tea!

Ingredients

There are several types of masaco, all of which involve either mashed yucca or mashed plantains mixed with different things. This recipe is for mashed green plantains with jerked beef and it is goooooood!! Don't use plantains that are TOO yellos. When they're yellow they get really sweet!

8 green plantains - they MUST be more green than yellow
1/2 kilo (1 pound) of jerked beef
Shortening to fry the plantains
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Peel the green plantains by cutting off the skins with a knife. Plantains differ from regular bananas that we eat - the banana peel is very tough and is not easily removed from the fruit.

Cut them into small pieces (rounds) by laying the plantain horizontally on a cutting board and slicing it. DO NOT cut too thin - each slice can be up to 1 inch thick - you don't want to end up making banana chips.

Fry the plantain pieces in quite a bit of oil. The oil must be deep enough to cover them. It must also be heated prior to placing the plantains into it.

Watch them closely because they will take a while to cook, but as soon as they begin to turn golden, they will then rapidly burn and you don't want them to crisp. It's important they remain soft so don't overly cook them.

In the meantime, wash all the salt off the jerked beef (called "charque" in Bolivia). Boil the jerked beef until it is completely soft. Drain and cool. With your hands, shred the beef into small strips - very shredded.

When the plantains are golden and soft (not toasted or crunchy) removed them from the oil and drain them. Place them onto a paper towel to drain off the excess fat. Allow them to cool.

When the plantains are cool, mash them until they are soft and there are no large pieces of plantain left. Add them to the shredded beef and mix them completely. If the plantains are too dry, add a little of the oil 1 tablespoon at a time until the mash is the consistency of mashed potatoes. Add salt ONLY if necessary (usually the jerky is so salty it isn't needed).

Scoop the mixture into small cups or bowls - this is only to give it shape. Turn them over onto a plate and serve warm.