An Amazonian ball of toasted green plantain mashed while hot, with bits of chicharrón tucked through the mixture and browned regional sausage alongside. Fresh, sharp cocona cuts through the richness without erasing the smoky character of the plate. Deciding what to save for the last bite is surprisingly difficult, which is exactly the kind of problem this dish should create.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Cut the cocona into small dice and the red onion into short, thin slices. Finely chop the pipí de mono chile and sacha culantro; this chile is potent, so avoid touching your face while handling it. Mix everything with the lime juice and one quarter of the salt, then rest for 10 minutes, until the cocona releases some juice and the onion remains crisp but less harsh.
Peel the green bellaco plantains and cut them into thick slices about 1.5 to 2 cm wide. Heat six tenths of the pork lard in a wide skillet and sauté the pork chicharrón for 2 to 3 minutes, until it smells toasted and regains some crispness; remove it while leaving its rendered fat in the pan. Brown the plantain in batches for 4 to 5 minutes per side, lowering the heat if it colors too quickly, until deeply golden outside and tender all the way through.
Mash the plantain while it is still hot. Gradually add the remaining lard, the remaining salt, and the reserved chicharrón, pounding and folding until the mixture becomes cohesive, rustic, and moldable, with visible pieces of plantain and pork. Divide into 4 portions and shape into firm balls with lightly greased hands; press only enough for them to hold together.
Place the Amazonian sausage in the same skillet without adding more fat and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning every couple of minutes to brown the entire surface. Do not pierce it; let it keep its juices. Remove it when the casing is browned and firm and the center is fully cooked and piping hot, with no raw meat remaining.
Serve each tacacho while still hot with its sausage and a generous spoonful of cocona relish alongside. The ball should hold together without feeling compressed, the sausage should stay juicy when cut, and the relish should taste fresh, tart, and spicy against the richness. And that is it—alternate between tacacho, sausage, and cocona; choosing only one star here would miss half the point 😌
