Puerco en Salsa Verde is a popular Mexican dish full of succulent pork and beautiful, fresh and spicy flavors. It's so delicious -- everyone will be licking their plates clean!
Prep Time23 minutesmins
Cook Time22 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Mexican dinner recipes, recipes with pork, summer salsas
2 to 3(approximately 3-inch)jalapeño peppers, washed and dried (see notes)
1 cupyellow onion,peeled, cut into large wedges
5medium-largegarlic cloves,peeled
1cuploosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, washed and dried
1(approximately 1½-pound)pork tenderloin
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat a stove-top or outdoor grill.
The Salsa Verde
Drizzle the tomatillo halves, whole jalapeños, onion wedges and garlic cloves lightly with olive oil. Once the grill is very hot add these ingredients. You should hear a sizzle when they hit the grill -- if you don't, it's not hot enough yet. Remove the ingredients when they're nicely charred and soft-- this will not be all at the same time, and will take about 15 minutes. Place them on a large plate as you go.
Once everything is grilled, cut the stems off the jalapeños, and slice them into smaller pieces, removing the seeds if less heat is preferred. (I usually leave a bit less than ¼ of the seeds, but this is a personal preference.) Cut the tiny root end off the garlic cloves, as well.
If you have a mortar (the larger, the better), add the grilled ingredients and the cilantro in small batches, and mash them with the pestle until it's the consistency you desire -- I like it somewhere between saucy and chunky. You can season the salsa to taste with salt and pepper if you want to. (I didn't find it necessary.)Set the salsa aside. (Please feel free to use a food processor or blender if you would rather, or if you don't have the mortar and pestle -- it'll still be fantastic!)
Make the pork
Cut the pork into bite-sized pieces and heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil, and season all sides of the pork pieces with salt and pepper. Once the pan is very hot, add the pork. Again, if you don't hear a sizzling sound, the pan isn't hot enough yet. Sauté the pork just until it's cooked through and is browning a bit, about 7 minutes.
Assemble
Pour the Salsa Verde over the pork, mix and serve!