Finding myself a little tired of chicken and steering a bit clear of beef lately, I am trying to find more room in my kitchen for “the other white meat.” We didn’t eat pork growing up because my dad was allergic to it. Rarely, if ever, did I come across pork tenderloin and when I was exposed to pork chops at friend’s houses or in restaurants, I remember them as dry and chewy. So, I never really included pork in my cooking repertoire.
To be clear, when I speak of not having a past with pork, I do not mean bacon. For some reason, bacon did not seem to be included in my dad’s allergy problem so it accompanied a weekly, weekend pancake breakfast. And come to think of it, I enjoyed many a ham and cheese sandwich.
Pig meat is tricky. I suppose I barely consider bacon, ham and sausage pork products because you don’t CALL them pork. Before getting too deep into a pig/pork vocabulary discussion, I will just say that I am now excited to be exploring new ways to eat pork tenderloin and pork chops. These tacos I made were easy, delicious and a definite do-over.
Pork Tacos with Guacamole and Salsa Verde
1 small pork tenderloin
2 t chili powder
1 t dried oregano
1 t ground cumin
salt and pepper
Toppings:
8 corn tortillas
black beans (drained and tossed with cumin, salt and lime juice)
guacamole (find the recipe here)
salsa verde (I bought mine from the Mexican section of the grocery store.)
sour cream
cilantro
Cut the pork into 2 x 1/8 inch strips. Combine the chili, cumin, oregano and toss the pork in the spice mixture. Salt and pepper the pork. Heat oil in a skillet and saute the pork strips.
Heat another skillet and put the tortillas in, heating each side for about a minute. Spread guacamole on the tortilla, add some pork and top with your favorite toppings.