I'm trying to make good use of my seasonal fruits right now. The strawberries are just barely hanging on still, there are lots of cherries (though I don't have any ideas of what to make with them!), and there are still some cheap pineapples, too! This month is the BEST month for fruit out of the year here in this city! Although I'm looking forward to grapes next! Besides just eating plain chunks of pineapple on a regular basis, and a time or two making Strawberry Pineapple Crumble, I've also used it to make pineapple salsa! So here's a recipe for that, as well as a way to use some pineapple juice or puree in a marinade for some pork. The two paired in a warm tortilla make a great combination!
Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
1 1/2 lbs pork, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
2 cups pineapple juice or puree
1 small onion, diced
1/2-1 Tbs chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp paprika
1 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
In a ziplock bag or dish, combine pineapple juice, onion chili powder, cayenne, paprika and pork. Marinate at least 6-8 hours--more is fine, too.
Heat a tablespoon or so of oil in a skillet. Remove pork with a slotted spoon, reserving marinade, and place in skillet with hot oil. Brown on all sides. Do this in batches if you need to. Add onions and cook until translucent. Place pork and onions in a pot with a lid or a crock pot. Add about half the marinade, salt, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then cover and turn to low (just cover and let it go in the crock pot). After it has cooked a bit, taste your liquid and adjust salt if needed. You can also add additional marinade if you like. Cover and cook 1-4 hours (*See note below).
Pineapple Salsa
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
1/2 of a small red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2-3 Tbs lime or lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Refrigerate at least an hour or two to let flavors mix.
Options for tacos
tortillas, flour or corn
avocado
cilantro
lime wedges
Remove cooked pork with a slotted spoon. Serve on warm tortillas, topped with the pineapple salsa and other toppings if desired!
Notes:
I have made these twice now. The recipe says to braise the pork for 4 hours over low heat. So I did mine in the crock pot for 4 hours. My pork got way over-cooked. I had chosen a really tender pork loin. The next time, I chose the same tender pork loins and only cooked them for 1 hour on low heat on the stove. They came out a perfect texture. So, try to know whether you have a more tough or tender cut of meat. The tougher cuts will do great in a longer braise or in the crock pot. I served this simple--just the pork and salsa, no extras! Even my kids enjoyed them. Oh, and if you're like me, if you taste the salsa right when you make it, you may think, "Wow. That's a lot of different flavor combinations going on!" But if you let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours they really mesh nicely and go great with the pork! Depending on how spicy your chili powder is, you may want to put the lower amount suggested. You can always add kick as its cooking!
1 1/2 lbs pork, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
2 cups pineapple juice or puree
1 small onion, diced
1/2-1 Tbs chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder
1 tsp paprika
1 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
In a ziplock bag or dish, combine pineapple juice, onion chili powder, cayenne, paprika and pork. Marinate at least 6-8 hours--more is fine, too.
Heat a tablespoon or so of oil in a skillet. Remove pork with a slotted spoon, reserving marinade, and place in skillet with hot oil. Brown on all sides. Do this in batches if you need to. Add onions and cook until translucent. Place pork and onions in a pot with a lid or a crock pot. Add about half the marinade, salt, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then cover and turn to low (just cover and let it go in the crock pot). After it has cooked a bit, taste your liquid and adjust salt if needed. You can also add additional marinade if you like. Cover and cook 1-4 hours (*See note below).
1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
1/2 of a small red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2-3 Tbs lime or lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Refrigerate at least an hour or two to let flavors mix.
Options for tacos
tortillas, flour or corn
avocado
cilantro
lime wedges
Remove cooked pork with a slotted spoon. Serve on warm tortillas, topped with the pineapple salsa and other toppings if desired!
Notes:
I have made these twice now. The recipe says to braise the pork for 4 hours over low heat. So I did mine in the crock pot for 4 hours. My pork got way over-cooked. I had chosen a really tender pork loin. The next time, I chose the same tender pork loins and only cooked them for 1 hour on low heat on the stove. They came out a perfect texture. So, try to know whether you have a more tough or tender cut of meat. The tougher cuts will do great in a longer braise or in the crock pot. I served this simple--just the pork and salsa, no extras! Even my kids enjoyed them. Oh, and if you're like me, if you taste the salsa right when you make it, you may think, "Wow. That's a lot of different flavor combinations going on!" But if you let it sit in the fridge for a couple hours they really mesh nicely and go great with the pork! Depending on how spicy your chili powder is, you may want to put the lower amount suggested. You can always add kick as its cooking!
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