chipotle pork

Chipotle Pork Tacos

from Our Best Bites by sara

8 people liked this

It’s April 1st! How the heck is it already April? Someone answer me that. It can’t be April. My life is so hectic that this month completely sneaked up on me. I actually love April though. I’m having a birthday this month (Woo hoo! You’re probably all wondering what to send me. Don’t worry, I’ll post a list.) I also have a kiddo turning the big 0-3 this month. And my 7th wedding anniversary is this month. See? Fun times. I’m predicting lots of dessert in the next 30 days.

If your life is as crazy as mine and you don’t even know what month it is- then you’ll love this quick and easy dinner. It comes from this month’s issue of Cooking Light (page 74 if you want to get particular) and although I did make some changes, the bones remain the same. I was surprised at how much flavor was packed in with very few ingredients. Try it out!

You’ll need some thinly sliced pork. The original recipes calls for pounding a pork tenderloin with a meat mallet until it’s thin. I took a much easier route and just sliced it thin :) And I didn’t even use a tenderloin- I had a pork sirloin roast in my freezer so I defrosted it it almost all the way (it’s easier to slice when it’s just barely frozen) and then sliced it up thin.

The easy marinade comes together really quick. And this is a recipe that you don’t have to marinade for hours on end. It really just sits while you’re prepping everything else, however- if you have the time, go ahead and make it early. I prepped the pork during afternoon nap time (not my nap time, oh how I wish!) so it was all ready to go at dinner time.

Here’s something I always keep in my fridge: bottled minced garlic. I usually have bottled minced ginger too. Generally speaking, in most cases fresh garlic is best- but there are exceptions, and something like this, that cooks so fast, is one of them.

Plus it’s also just a great time-saver, and also good for emergencies when you find yourself out of the fresh stuff. One of my favorite things is that garlicky juice that’s in there, it adds tons of flavor.

Also going into the mix is lime zest- again, adds tons of flavor. Use a microplane grater, or a regular fine-hole cheese grater and then dice it up with a knife so it’s nice and fine.

Also needed is a tiny bit of brown sugar (I even used brown sugar Splenda because it’s all I had) and oregano. Use fresh oregano if you have it, and dried if you don’t. I was starting to sprinkle in dry oregano when I looked out my window at my totally dead and frozen garden and noticed little green speckles. I ran out there and what do you know- my oregano is popping up again! Nice timing oregano.

Lastly- these can’t be called chipotle pork tacos without the chipotle! I started writing a bunch of info about chipotles and decided it would be much better in its very own post. So read this! You will find canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the Latin isle of the grocery store. There is also Chipotle powder, which we use a lot, but I do think that the actual stuff is better in this recipe. They’re smoky and spicy and wonderful. If you’re like me and can’t handle much heat, either use just a bit, or avoid the peppers all together and add the sauce, which tastes amazing. I actually used a couple tablespoons of adobo sauce (maybe 1 1/2 Tbs?) and no actual peppers. It was mild enough that my little toddlers gobbled it right up. Not much heat at all. Mix that all up and either let it sit there, or pop it in a ziplock bag in the fridge for later.

Heat up a skillet with a bit of olive oil and saute some red onions (original recipe calls for shallots and non-stick spray- onions work great!)

It only takes few minutes for them to get tender. We’re not caramelizing here.

Take those onions out and toss in the pork mixture. It should be sliced thin so it only takes a few minutes to cook.

While that’s sitting there staying warm, get your tortillas ready. I found a new tortilla that I love. Well they’re not “new,” just new to me. I spotted them at my local Albertsons. When it comes to corn tortillas I like white better than yellow. But I feel like it’s sort of hit or miss with which ones I buy. I like the flavor, but I hate how they can be tricky to work with (ie cracking) and sometimes they can be flavorless and kind of…chewy? Not sure what the word is! Anyway- I really like these ones by La Tortilla Factory. It says it’s a “unique blend of corn and wheat” and it sort of tastes like a hybrid to me. They’re soft and they bend and roll easily (I’m seeing taquitos in my future) and I really liked the flavor. Sort of like a blend between a flour and corn tortilla. Anyway, there’s my voluntary infomercial for the day. I think they should send me a pallet of tortillas or something…

Here’s a quick tip- toss your tortillas on a warm grill! You get a little bit of a smoky char, and they get nice and toasty. An indoor grill pan would work too. Whatever you do, do something. I don’t really ever eat tortillas straight out of the bag. You can heat them in a dry skillet, or my fave- a hot skillet with just a bit of non-stick spray, or at the very least warm them up in the microwave so they’re soft.

Weird, it totally looks like that one is on fire. I swear it’s not!

Toss the onions into the pork mixture and serve in tortillas. I served it with this Lime-Cilantro Rice (pretty much my most favorite rice side dish ever). It would be great with or without the pineapple in the rice. We put the rice into the tortillas with the pork mixture and thought the sweetness of the pineapple in there was perfect with the brown sugar in the pork, and also the smoky flavor of the chipotle. It all went together really well. You could serve it on the side too. And don’t forget a dallop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro!

Quick, easy, and delish!

Print This!

Chipotle Pork Tacos

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light, April 2011

1 pound pork tenderloin, sliced thin

1 ½ tsp grated lime zest

1 Tbs fresh lime juice

2 tsp minced fresh oregano, or a heaping ½ tsp dry

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (use the peppers for heat and the adobo sauce for a mild smoky bite. I used 1 1/2 Tbs of sauce and no peppers and it was hardly spicy at all.)

2 tsp bottled minced garlic

¼ tsp kosher salt

3 tsp olive oil, divided

1 C thinly sliced shallots, or onions

8 (6 inch) corn tortillas

Sour cream

Chopped cilantro

Recommended: Lime-Cilantro Rice

Combine thinly sliced pork, lime zest, lime juice, oregano, brown sugar, chipotles, garlic, and salt. Set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp olive oil. Add onions and sauté for 4 minutes or until tender. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 2 tsp olive oil to pan and add pork mixture. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink. Add pork to onions. Warm tortillas on a hot grill and fill with pork mixture. Top with sour cream and cilantro. Serves 4.

Lastly- we’ll be in Salt Lake City again this weekend! You can find us at the Bountiful Deseret Book on Saturday from 12-1:30, and then we’ll be at the down town store from 6-8 for Ladies Night! Come see us, we’d love to say hello!

slow-cooker sweet and sour country ribs

marthastewart.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 pounds country-style pork ribs, separated into single ribs
• Barbecue sauce, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. In slow cooker, whisk together ketchup, sugar, vinegar, mustard powder, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

2. Add ribs to slow cooker, and toss with sauce. Arrange ribs, bone side up, in a single row. Cover; cook on high, 6 hours (or on low, 10 hours).

3. Serve ribs drizzled with pan juices and, if desired, barbecue sauce.

Cook's Note

Oven method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In step 1, use a 5-quart Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid; add 1 cup water. Cover; bake until ribs are tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Proceed with step 3.

bbq ribs (EJs ribs)

marthastewart.com

Serves 4

• 2 1/2 teaspoons mustard powder
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 3/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• Coarse salt
• 2 slabs baby back ribs (about 2 pounds total)
• Vegetable oil, for grates
• Emeril's Rib Sauce

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine mustard powder, paprika, celery salt, onion powder, red-pepper flakes, garlic powder, celery seed, and 1 teaspoon salt. Rub slabs on both sides with the spice mixture, and refrigerate, loosely covered, for 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Stack slabs on a double layer of aluminum foil; tightly wrap. Place on a rack on a baking sheet. Cook until meat pulls away from the bone and is easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
3. Heat grill to medium-high; lightly oil grates. Carefully remove ribs from foil, pouring off any liquid. Brush generously on both sides with rib sauce; grill ribs until sauce begins to bubble and brown around the edges, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve ribs with any leftover sauce, if desired.

pork tenderloin roast

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 pounds carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise if large
• 1/2 pound shallots, peeled and halved if large
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin roast
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons grainy mustard

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss carrots, shallots, and 1 tablespoon rosemary with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, season pork with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add pork; cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer pork to a plate, and reserve skillet.
3. Remove baking sheet from oven; push vegetables to sides. Place pork in center; return sheet to oven. Roast, tossing vegetables occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of pork registers 145 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes. Loosely tent pork with foil. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
4. While pork rests, pour off almost all of the fat from skillet. Add wine, and cook over medium-high, scraping up browned bits, until syrupy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 30 seconds. Gradually add 1 cup water, whisking constantly. Add 1 tablespoon rosemary. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Whisk in mustard, and season gravy with salt and pepper. Serve pork with carrots and gravy.

pork tenderloin in crockpot

Ingredients

• 1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
• 1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place pork tenderloin in a slow cooker with the contents of the soup packet. Pour water, wine, and soy sauce over the top, turning the pork to coat. Carefully spread garlic over the pork, leaving as much on top of the roast during cooking as possible. Sprinkle with pepper, cover, and cook on low setting for 4 hours. Serve with cooking liquid on the side as au jus.

Homemade Tortillas and Green Chili

Homemade Tortillas

3 C flour
1 heaping Tbsp. Baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp. shortening
1 1/8 C hot water

Mix dry ing. Blend in shortening by hand until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add hot water, mixing by hand. If mixture is sticky add as little flour as possible and keep kneading. The texture will be smooth and satiny in about 5 minutes. Separate dough into 12 balls. Cover with a towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat griddle on med-hi for several minutes, until temperature is constant. Roll out tortillas being careful not to turn the tortillas over- it will stick. Cook on griddle over med-hi heat. Too low a temperature and the tortillas will be like crackers. After cooled store in an airtight container.

These tortillas are not good for rolling, but more for just eating and dipping.

*This same dough is used to make sopapillas. Just roll the dough out and poke a hole in the middle and then fry in canola oil. Fry on Med-hi, to test the oil to make sure it is hot enough, drop a small piece of dough in it. If it sizzles it is ready.


Green Chili – eat with the homemade tortillas

2 lbs pork or chicken
4 Tbsp. oil
5 Tbsp. flour
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 onion, diced
2 C water
2 cans diced green chilis
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, lightly drained
½ tsp chili powder
Pinch of Mexican oregano
Salt to taste

Cook meat in crockpot for 3-4 hrs on LOW. Cool and shred.

In a large pot heat the oil and add the flour. Stir constantly until the flour starts to brown (until the color of peanut butter). Add the pork and stir for a minute. Add the water, the chilies, and the diced tomatoeos. In a separate pan sauté the onions and garlic and add the pork mixture. Spice to taste and cook over low heat for about 15 min.

pulled pork

Perfect Pulled Pork -
Slow Roasted, Seasoned & Sa-vor-y!!!

Remember last week when we were talking about company recipes? This is one of those recipes. I’ll never forget the first time I had this *perfect* pulled pork. I was a guest in someone’s home and this was their company recipe. And true to company recipe fashion, I immediately fell in love with it and begged for the recipe.

This pulled pork is SO yummy and flavorful and tender, it just melts in your mouth. And it really is *perfect* for company because everyone I’ve ever made this for has just raved over it. You have to try it, at least once. Really. You will be hooked. :)

Let’s pick out the perfect pork shoulder for your perfect pulled pork. The best piece of meat for pulled pork is a 4-7 lb whole boston butt.

Make sure your pork shoulder has a layer of fat on the bottom:

And it should also have a bone going about halfway through it. (It doesn’t go all the way through. Just halfway.)

Now, if you notice, my pork shoulder is 7.91 lbs. I got a big one because I wanted to feed 6 people *and* have tons and tons of leftovers. Normally I hate leftovers, but I LOVE this leftover. People always want some to take home with them and it *just* as yummy heated up the next day. Just pop it in a 350-375 degree oven for about 5 mins. You’ll know when it’s done because the whole kitchen will start smelling so good and your mouth will be watering and you just won’t be able to wait any longer before you yank it out of the oven and put it on a plate. It even freezes really well, although we never want to freeze it because we always want to keep eating it for the next couple of days. lol.

After you pick out your perfect pork shoulder, you may want to pick up a few other items while you’re out..

You’ll need a 3″ deep roasting pan that’s big enough to hold your pork shoulder so that there is at least 1″ of extra room on all sides. Of course you may have a nice roasting pan at home that you can use. Lucky. I don’t, so I just pick up one of these babies at the grocery store. Disposable, yet oh so dependable. You’ll also need something LARGE to brine the roast in. I use a 2 gallon ziploc bag. And the last thing is a digital thermometer with an alarm. You don’t *have* to have one of these, but I find this an *extremely* useful piece of equipment in my kitchen. The thermometer stays in the meat, in the oven while the digital reader sits outside on top of the stove. You set the alarm and it will go off when the meat has reached the desired temp. I LOVE it because I don’t have to constantly keep checking on the roast. I just put it in and forget it! :) You can pick one of these up pretty cheap (less than $20) at the grocery store (and almost anywhere- Target, Walmart, Linens-N-Things, Bed, Bath and Beyond, etc). And you can use it for everything- chicken, steak, burgers, etc. I love it for baking chicken because you know exactly when the chicken is done and it doesn’t get dried out. :)

So! Now that you’ve got all your equipment, let’s start out by making the special dry rub that makes this pulled pork so perfectly seasoned and savory.

Dry Rub
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together well and store in an air tight container.

This smells absolutely divine. Cover it and set it aside for a sec.
Now for the brine - A brine solution gives the meat the extra moisture it needs for a long, slow cooking process so you don’t end up with tough, dried out meat.

Brine Solution
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 qts cold water
3 tbsp dry rub mix
2 bay leaves

Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar and dry rub and stir well to combine.

Rinse the pork shoulder in cold water and place in a 2 gallon ziploc bag (or a container big enough so the shoulder is completely covered in brine solution).

Carefully pour in the brine solution. When you get towards the end, slosh the brine solution around and make sure all that yummy dry rub seasoning gets poured in. :)

Now you heard me mention bay leaves earlier. If your neighbor doesn’t grow these fresh in her garden, like mine does, (heh heh heh) you can get these in the spice section of your grocery store. They are *perfect* for seasoning roasts. If you’re using the dried kind, 2 leaves is plenty. But since I was using fresh, I grabbed a whole handful (5-8 maybe) of the fresh ones right off my neighbor’s plant. :D Michele, if you’re reading this, I heart you and your beautiful garden.

So! After you’ve got your pork all covered in brine, go ahead and throw in your bay leaves.

And refrigerate for at least 8 hours. I like to clean out a spot in my door and keep the pork there because it seems to be the best place to keep the shoulder completely covered in brine.

At least 8 hours later…

Preheat oven to 225, remove the pork shoulder from the brine solution and place in the roasting pan.

Pat the skin dry with paper towels. I remember reading once why this was an important step, but I forget what it said now. Just take my word for it, kay?

Ohhh baby now the good stuff! Generously, generously, cover the WHOLE thing in your dry rub mix.

And massage it into that skin real good. Be sure and get it up under any flaps you may come across.

It should look like this when you’re done massaging. You should also still have plenty of dry rub mix left- and that’s okay. We will be using it later! :)

Make sure the fat layer is facing UP and stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone.

Place uncovered in a 225 degree oven on the middle rack. Resist the urge to use a higher temperature.

Set the alarm on the thermometer for 200 degrees. We don’t want to take it out of the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches at least 200 degrees. The first time I made this, I was like what?? 200 degrees?? Are you kidding?? Isn’t a roast usually done at 170 degrees?? Won’t my meat be tough and dried out?? But here’s what I found out. The pork is finished to the point of being sliceable at 170 degrees, but to get that tender, falling apart shredded meat, the ideal internal temperature should reach at least 200 degrees. And it’s still just as tender, juicy and flavorful because of our seasoned brine solution.

Now, cooking at 225 degrees, this shoulder will take between 1.5 to 2 hours per pound to cook. As it happens, this 8 lb shoulder took 13 hours, so a little over an hour and a half per pound.

Here’s how I normally do it… The morning on the day before I want to serve this, first thing when I get up, I prepare the brine solution and let the shoulder brine all day in the fridge. That night right before I go to bed, I season the shoulder with the dry rub and put it in the oven and let it cook overnight. The alarm has never woken me up the next morning, I’ve usually already been up a couple hours before it goes off. And I am not an early riser. (yeah, yeah I can hear ya’ll laughing at how much of an understatement that is)

When the alarm goes off and the shoulder has reached 200 degrees, turn off the oven and let the roast cool for about 2 hours before removing from the oven. Turn off the alarm, but keep the thermometer in the meat, so you can monitor the temperature. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period. Mine still had lots of juice in the bottom this time, so I didn’t have to cover it.

After a couple hours, when the temperature drops to 170 degrees or slightly lower, remove the shoulder from the oven.

Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Using two large forks, begin pulling the meat apart. It will fall apart *very* easily and it should not take you long at all to pull apart this whole roast.

Now remember how I said that a 4-7 lb roast was best, but I ended up getting an 8 lb roast? Well, that was just fine and dandy, but my meat wasn’t as seasoned as it normally is with a smaller roast. But that’s no problem cause I had plenty of dry rub mix left! So take a few taste test bites, then generously sprinkle the shredded meat all over until your heart’s content. Be really generous with the dry rub and really mix it in good. This seasoned meat is fantastic. Keep taste testing along the way. ;)

Our favorite way to eat pulled pork is on hamburger buns. We pile ‘em high and let the meat overflow onto our plates and eat that with a fork. :)

But it really doesn’t matter how you serve it because it won’t be on the plate more than 3 seconds anyway. ;)

Having a Labor Day get together with friends & family this weekend? Go ahead and knock their socks off with this slow roasted, seasoned and savory pulled pork.

Have fun and enjoy!

Perfect Pulled Pork - Slow Roasted, Seasoned & Sa-vor-y!!!

Print Recipe

1 whole boston butt

Dry Rub

1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix well and store in an air tight container.

Brine Solution

1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 qts cold water
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp dry rub mix

Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar, dry rub, and bay leaves and stir well to combine.

Pork shoulder preparation:
Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a large container, pour in the brine solution until the shoulder is completely covered. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Then remove pork shoulder from brine solution, pat dry with paper towels, place in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least a inch in length and width and at least 3 inches deep. Sprinkle dry rub onto the surface of the shoulder and massage in such that it adheres to the surface. Coat all sides. Make sure the fat layer on the shoulder is facing up before cooking! Place baking pan uncovered in a 225 degree oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the center or thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone. Monitor the temperature throughout cooking (a digital thermometer with an alarm function is the easiest way to do this). Do not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 200 degrees. When the shoulder has reached 200 degrees, shut off the oven and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the oven. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period. When the temperature drops to 170 degrees or slightly lower, remove from oven. Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Pull apart with two forks, it will pull apart very easily. Serve for friends and family! :)

Sausage Rigatoni Bake

Sausage
3 ounces extra-lean ground pork
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of salt

Rigatoni and Sauce
3/4 cup whole-wheat rigatoni
2/3 cup thin, 1”-long red or yellow bell pepper strips
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon no-salt-added tomato paste
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese Preheat the oven to 400°F.

To prepare the sausage: Combine the pork, fennel seeds, parsley, pepper
flakes, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. With clean hands or a fork,
mix well.

Place a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot enough
for a spritz of water to sizzle on it. With an oven mitt, briefly remove the pan
from the heat to lightly mist with olive oil spray.

Add the sausage to the pan. Cook, breaking it into large chunks with a
wooden spoon, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until no longer pink. Remove from the
pan and cover to keep warm.

To prepare the rigatoni and sauce: Lightly mist a 2- to 3-cup baking dish with
olive oil spray. Set aside.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, return the skillet to the heat, add the pepper strips, and cook 3
to 5 minutes until tender. Add the reserved sausage. Add tomatoes, tomato
paste, water, oregano, honey, and garlic powder. Stir to mix well. Add the
reserved pasta. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the
cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil. Bake for 5 minutes, or until
heated through and the top is starting to brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before
serving.

Pork Stir-fry with garlic broccoli

Makes 4 servings

3 cups broccoli, cut into 1” pieces
3/4 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
½ cup chopped scallions
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons peeled chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 red bell pepper (halved, seeded and diced)
1 lb boneless pork tenderloin (cut into ½” x 2” strips)
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Steam broccoli for about 2 minutes, till bright green but still firm. Rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Drain and set aside.

In a food processor, pulse the following until minced: ¼ cup chicken broth, scallions, garlic and ginger. Set aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper. Sauté 5 minutes or until just tender. Transfer to bowl and cover with towel to retain heat.

Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to pan over medium-high heat. Add scallion mixture and sauté about 1 minute, stirring. Add pork strips and soy sauce, and sauté 4 minutes or until pork is nearly cooked.

Add remaining ½ cup chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add broccoli to skillet and stir until broccoli is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add onion and pepper back to pan.

Garnish with sesame seeds

beef and winter veggie stew

Ingredients

• 1 lb Angus beef stew meat,cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 med parsnips,peeled,chopped
• 1 med carrot,peeled,chopped
• 1-1/2 cups winter squash,peeled,chopped
• 1 lg sweet potato,peeled,chopped
• 1 8-3/4 oz can whole kernel corn,undrained
• 4 tsp beef bouillon granules
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups fresh washed spinach,torn into pieces

Cooking Instructions

In lg skillet,brown 1/2 of the meat in oil. Remove,set aside. Brown remaining meat w/ onion,paprika and minced garlic. In a 4-quart slow cooker, place parsnips,carrots,squash,sweet potato and undrained corn. Add all the meat and onion mix to cooker. Sprinkle w/ bouillon granules and cayenne pepper. Pour water over all. Cover,cook on low setting for 10-11 hrs or on high setting for 5-5-1/2 hrs. Just before serving,add spinach,stir until slightly wilted.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

From Good Eats

Ingredients

• 1 whole pork tenderloin, approximately 1 pound
• 1 lime, zest finely grated
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat and silver skin.

Place the lime zest, lime juice, honey, salt, and garlic powder in a small, lidded jar and shake to combine. Pour half of the marinade mixture into a 1-gallon resealable bag, add the chipotle pepper, and move around to combine. Add the pork tenderloin to the bag and seal, removing as much air as possible and place in a container to catch any leaks. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours, rotating the bag halfway through the time. Place the remaining marinade in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove the tenderloin from the bag and allow to sit at room temperature while preparing the grill. Remove the reserved marinade from the refrigerator.

Fill a large chimney starter with natural lump charcoal and light. Once the charcoal is ashy and white, approximately 30 minutes, dump the hot charcoal onto the lowest grate of the grill and spread into an even layer using extra-long tongs. Place the cooking grate back on the grill and cover with the lid; heat the grate to medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Remove the tenderloin from the bag and place in the center of grate. Discard bag with marinade. Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until the tenderloin reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.

Remove the tenderloin from the grill and place on a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil folded at the edges to create a basket, and pour on the reserved marinade. Wrap tightly and rest for 10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and slice. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Pork and Stir-Fry Vegetables with Spicy Asian Sauce

from cookinglight.com

Ingredients

* 1 teaspoon canola oil
* 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
* 1/4 cup ketchup
* 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
* 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 1 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
* 1 cup presliced zucchini
* 1 cup presliced red bell pepper
* 1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
* 1/2 cup chopped green onions
* 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine hoisin sauce and next 4 ingredients (through ground red pepper), stirring until blended; set side. Add pork to pan; sprinkle with black pepper and salt. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan. Add sesame oil to pan. Add zucchini, bell pepper, and ginger; stir-fry 4 minutes or until bell pepper is tender. Stir in onions and pork. Add hoisin mixture to pan; toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.