Latin Inspired Pork & Beans

Today, Jules offers a new favorite recipe:

I am so excited about this dish. After watching a food show where the host traveled to Mexico City and ate the most appetizing street food I’ve ever seen (I actually was salivating), I raided my refrigerator to see what I could make that might resemble these dishes. This dish looks complex but actually is really fast once you’ve got all the ingredients lined up. It packs a lot of flavor and nutrients; the bite of the cilantro vinegar works really well with the sweet pork.
Some of these ingredients may not be pantry staples for the average reader, but they are all available at your local supermarket. Enjoy!

Latin Inspired Pork with Smashed Black Beans
[Click here for the printable PDF of this recipe]

Ingredients:

Marinated Pork:

4 pork loin filets; also sold as boneless chops (about 1.5 pounds)

½ cup jarred sofrito* (in the ethnic section of your market)

¼ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

1 can canned diced tomatoes

½ cup sushi vinegar (in the ethnic section of your market; if you can’t find this product, use cider vinegar)

Pinch of red pepper flakes

¼ cup orange juice

Beans:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 slice of bacon, diced

1 tablespoon garlic

1 can black beans

2 tsp cumin powder

Cilantro Vinegar:

½ cup sushi vinegar

1 small bunch cilantro, washed and chopped

1 heaping teaspoon garlic

Pinch salt

Finishing Ingredients:

Sliced avocado

Your favorite tortillas

Queso fresco or mild goat cheese

*Sofrito is used often in Latin cooking and is as fundamental to their cooking as a mire poire is to French cooking. It is basically a mixture of tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic, and cilantro, though there are many variations.

1. Marinate the pork. Slice the pork filets into slices about 1/3” thick and place in a large bowl. Add next 6 ingredients and marinate, covered and refrigerated, at least an hour, but up to 4 hours.

2. Prepare the beans. In large skillet, warm olive oil. Add diced bacon and cook and render its drippings. Once bacon is cooked, add garlic and sauté about one minute, until tender. Add beans and cumin, stir well, and reduce heat to very low. Mash beans slightly with a fork, leaving about half of the beans mashed and half of the beans whole. Beans should cook on this low heat for about 10 minutes before serving.

3. Prepare the cilantro vinegar. Add all ingredients to small saucepan and heat until mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. To serve, fill tortilla with pork, including its red sauce, cilantro vinegar, and cheese. Beans may be served on the side with additional cheese or inside the tortilla.

Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net