Cumin Lime Roast Pork Tacos with Salsa Verde

Perfect for your Taco Tuesday or any night of the week!

Yikes.

My week was non-stop.  After our trip, I’ve pretty much had to work non-stop to get caught up with my clients.  I’ll be back on my regular schedule next week which allows me a non-cooking day in the middle of the week.  I won’t say it’s a day off because I’m doing office work and working on my newspaper gig, but it is a day I’m not on my feet all day.

Here’s a dish that’s perfect for any night during your non-stop week!

Few foods in our culture have become synonymous with a day of the week as in “Taco Tuesday.”  These cumin and lime-marinated pork tacos with salsa verde (green salsa) are easy to prepare.

As a personal chef, I’ve often been amazed at how many people are either allergic to or are unable to tolerate tomatoes for a number of reasons.  If you’re sensitive to tomatoes, this salsa made with tomatillos is a great alternative.

Both tomatoes and tomatillos are in the nightshade family and although tomatillos look like small green tomatoes, they are different.  They have a thin, papery husk surrounding them that adheres because of a sticky film.  Before roasting, remove the husk and rinse the film off under running water.

Roasting the tomatillos, in addition to roasting the onion, jalapenos and garlic, adds complexity and depth to the salsa’s flavor.  After the vegetables cool to room temperature, place in a food processor or blender with fresh cilantro and fresh garlic, then pulse to a coarse puree.

Tomatillos, as with green tomatoes, can be on the tangy side.  If the sauce is too tart for your taste, a small amount of agave nectar will take some of that edge off.

This salsa can be made well in advance and keeps for one to two weeks in the refrigerator.  Any leftovers are great with tortilla chips.

If you don’t want to go to the trouble of making the salsa, I recommend Rick Bayless’ Frontera Tomatillo Salsa.  (Not an affiliate link.)

Serve the pork tacos and salsa in warmed corn or flour tortillas with finely shredded (or angel hair) cabbage, queso fresco or feta cheese, chopped cilantro and lime wedges.

Cumin Lime Roast Pork Tacos with Salsa Verde

Print shopping list

Prep Time 2 hr

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 3 hrs

Ingredients

• INGREDIENTS
• SALSA VERDE
• 2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed
• 1 medium onion, cut into 8 large chunks
• 3 jalapeno peppers, halved
• 10 large cloves garlic (8 left whole, 2 minced)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro (loosely packed)
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar (optional, to taste)
• PORK AND TACOS
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed of silverskin
• 12 (6-inch) flour or corn tortillas, warmed
• finely shredded cabbage (such as packaged shredded angel hair)
• queso fresco or feta cheese
• chopped cilantro
• lime wedges

Directions

1. INSTRUCTIONS
2. SALSA VERDE
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place tomatillos, onion, jalapeno peppers and 8 cloves garlic on a baking sheet. Drizzle with canola oil and toss lightly to coat. Roast for 30 minutes or until tomatillos are browned in places and juices have run out. Cool to room temperature.
4. Transfer vegetables (including juices), cilantro and 2 minced cloves garlic to a food processor or blender. Blend to a coarse puree. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add agave nectar if desired. Refrigerate until needed. (Makes 3 1/2 - 4 cups)
5. PORK AND TACOS
6. Combine lime juice, canola oil, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt and black pepper in a zipper-top bag. Add pork tenderloin, squeeze bag so that marinade surrounds pork and refrigerate 2 hours.
7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove pork tenderloin from bag, discarding any remaining marinade. Place pork on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes or to an internal temperature of 155 degrees. (Pork for this dish should be mostly cooked through with very little pink remaining). Tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes.
8. To serve, thinly slice pork. Serve in warmed tortillas with shredded cabbage, cheese, cilantro and lime wedges.

by Carol | From A Chef's Kitchen

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