Tono Diaz-Royo and Cruzmaria NazarioSidney Mintz

Ingredients

• 22 cups of ground meat stuffing (See preparation below)
• 3 large ripe plantains, peeled
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 5 large eggs, separated
• Pinch or pocoito of salt (1/4 teaspoon)
• half pound of fresh string beans, steamed but crunchy, cut lengthwise (French style)
• 1 pound of lean ground meat from pork or beef, or any combination of them (orejita: other meats could also be used in different proportions)
• 1 ounce pork fatback, diced very small or 2 tablespoons of olive oil (Tip or orejita: could be substituted with oil, but it would not taste the same...)
• 2 ounces of finely minced cooking ham (Think of the possibilities of combining Caribbean or Spanish cured ham)
• 3/4 teaspoon of salt (orejita: This will depend on the type and amount of ham included, use less or none if you have used the very salty type)
• Half a cup of onion diced
• a small cooking tomato (orejita: try to avoid the salad type, but you could use green firm tomatoes found in US Markets)
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of black pepper (orejita: or bit of Adobo Criollo which is not the same as the 'adobo' in Mexican dishes—that can be found in any Spanish Market up North)
• 3 to 4 small seeded pimientos dulce (orejita: mind you, they are not sweet nor hot, they are small and round cooking pimentos with a wonderful and distinct taste)
• one seeded green pepper, all finely chopped
• 1 or 2 pressed medium garlic clove (orejita: you could add more, if you and your guests like the taste of garlic)