Yucca fritters

Directions

1. Prepare the filling

2. Coarsely chop 1 onion, and mince the garlic. Place a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil in a medium skillet and cook the onion and garlic over medium heat until soft and fragrant.

3. Add the ground pork, 1 packet of seasoning, and cumin to the pork and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pork is well browned.

4. Add the beef broth and simmer pork over low heat for several minutes, until most of the excess liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool. Stir in some pieces of chopped hard boiled egg if desired.

5. Prepare the dough

6. Prepare the yucca “dough”: If using fresh yucca, peel the yucca (a vegetable peeler works well) and remove the stringy inner fibers at the center of the root.

7. Grate the peeled yucca and the onion as finely as possible using a hand grater or a food processor. Place the grated yucca and onion in a strainer or between some paper towels and press firmly to remove any excess liquid.

8. When the yucca is as dry as possible, stir in the egg yolks, salt, and one packet of seasoning.

9. Make the muchines

10. Shape the muchines: Place a generous tablespoon of the yucca mixture in the palm of your hand and flatten it to cover your palm. Add a spoonful of the pork mixture to the center of your palm, then use another tablespoon of the yucca to cover the filling. Carefully shape the muchines into an oval shape, trying to fully seal the pork inside of the yucca dough.

11. Place the shaped fritters on a couple of paper towels to absorb any excess moisture.

12. Fill a heavy pot with tall sides with 2 to 3 inches of oil, and carefully heat the oil over medium high heat. When the oil reaches about 360 degrees (a piece of the yucca dough should sizzle when it hits the oil), gently lower the fritters into the oil, working in batches if necessary.

13. Fry the yucca fritters until they are a deep golden brown, then drain them on paper towels to absorb any excess oil while they cool.

14. Serve the muchines warm with salad.

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