South American Inspired Pork

Today we’re going South of the Border.  Mexican and South American Food are some of my favorite dishes to make.  I love the spice combinations that create some of these tasty treats (especially that little hint of cocoa).  I’m going to tackle pork in this post. Pork is a meat that sometimes inspires, but can also be bland and tasteless.  A good pork tenderloin, when marinated properly can be tasty.  But plain old baked pork chops: yawn.  Boring and sometimes dried out.  We’re going to take the chop AND the loin to school today and add some needed flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:
2 thick cut pork chops (fat on)
1-2 lb pork tenderloin or pork roast
14 ounces crushed tomato
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder
pinch of oregano
pinch of cinnamon
dash lime juice
dash apple juice
1 can (4.5 ounces) of chopped green chilies
bagged rice
can of black beans
First thing you need to do is brown your pork.  I used 2 thick cut chops, fat left on (about 1.5 lbs) and a good sized boneless pork loin roast (about 2 lbs).  Cut your pork into large cubes and put them in a hot sautee pan with nothing but Olive Oil and crank it to medium high.  Don’t be afraid to get some crust on the pork.  Let it brown.  This will take 10 minutes or so. Once your pork is done, take it out and set it aside in a bowl.
Next we’ll grab my favorite cooking device: the crock pot.  You can stew this on the stove as well, but I like the crock because you can throw it all in and not have to worry about it.  Take the 14 ounces of crushed tomato and place it in the crock pot.  Add the pork and all it’s drippings to the tomato and make sure all the pork gets covered.  Then pile in your seasonings and chilies and give it a good mix (for more flavor, add some chipotles).  That’s it.  It doesn’t get much easier than that.  Set the crock pot to “Low” and let it cook nice and slow for 4-6 hours.  Give it a stir every now and then to make sure it doesn’t stick.  But if it does, no worries.  That’s just more crispy goodness. Do be careful not to break the pork up too much. We don’t want pulled pork. You want nice, tender pieces of pork.
Heat your beans (I prefer Goya) and your rice.  I don’t mess with rice.  A great rice to pair with this dish is Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice.  The garden vegetable with corn, carrots and peas is perfect for this dish.  This rice has a light flavor to it and is not overpowering like those Lipton rice mixes.  And short of digging and making your own rice, this mix is as close as you’ll get to Mexican restaurant style rice. If you want to add a little to your beans in terms of flavor, I suggest bacon over cheese, but that’s just me.  Just cut some bacon up, cook it in the pan and heat your beans in all that goodness.
Plate your pork, beans and rice, garnish with some chopped cilantro and dig in. Sour cream and guacamole would be a nice touch on the side of you’re so inclined