Anticiplate

I realized I hardly ever cook Mexican food. I guess it is because we have a Mexican restaurant one block away from us. Tonight, I decided to make this recipe that was inspired by my May 2008 Bon Appetit. 

I love this recipe because the marinade used chipotle in adobo. Chipotle in adobo are smoked jalepeno peppers that are stewed in tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, salt, and spices. A can of this can be found in the international foods aisle.  They ARE spicy, but don’t be scared. This recipe has just the right amount of subtle spice.

Also, you could add grilled pineapple to these tacos. Erik dislikes warm pineapple (like a Hawaiian pizza), so I opted out of this. However, it would have worked very well. 

Serves 4

Marinate: 4 hours to 1 day

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

1/4 of a white onion

3/4 c. fresh pineapple, chopped

1/4 c. fresh orange juice

2 tbsp. white vinegar

2 tbsp. ancho chile powder

2 garlic cloves

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried cumin

1 small chipotle chile in adobo, plus 1 tsp. adobo sauce 

2 small pork tenderloins (1- 1 1/2 lbs.), cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 red onion, finely minced

1 15 oz. can black beans

Flour tortillas

1 lime, cut into wedges for serving

In a food processor, or blender, combine first 10 ingredients. Puree until smooth. Place pork in a large ziploc bag. Add the marinade and seal bag, turning to coat. Marinate for 4 hours or up to 1 day. 

Heat a large grill (indoor or outdoor) over medium-high heat. Grill pork with the marinade still clinging to the meat, for about 3-5 minutes per side. Take the remaining marinade and heat it until boiling in a small saucepan. Chop pork into bite-size pieces and cover with foil to keep warm. 

Meanwhile, heat a can of black beans (you can add whatever you want to the beans to jazz them up-cumin, jalepeno, garlic). 

Finely chop the red onion, and cilantro. Toss to combine. Heat the flour tortillas either on your grill or in a non-stick skillet for 1 minute on each side. 

To serve, place pork in a tortilla. Top with black beans, cilantro-onion salsa, and top with remaining marinade.  Serve immediately with a slice of lime.