Mexican Pork Cubes Recipes

ASADO DE PUERCO (MEXICAN PORK STEW)

Steps:

• Combine pork cubes, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until water evaporates. Continue cooking until the pork browns in its rendered fat, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut tops off the dried chiles and remove seeds. Heat chiles in a large skillet over low heat until they start to soften. Do not toast. Place chiles in a bowl of hot water and soak for 20 minutes.
• Remove pork and set aside. Do not wash, wipe out, or clean the Dutch oven.
• Transfer chiles to a blender, reserving soaking water. Add cilantro, chicken bouillon, peppercorns, garlic, cinnamon stick, Mexican oregano, thyme, cumin seeds, bay leaves, and cloves. Pour in 1 cup soaking water and blend until smooth. Add 1 more cup soaking water, season with salt, and blend until completely smooth.
• Melt lard in the Dutch oven. Carefully add blended chile mixture and scrape up all browned bits. Bring to a boil and add pork. Reduce heat and cover partially, leaving about 1 inch open. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and reaches the desired consistency, 15 to 20 minutes.

MEXICAN PORK CHOPS

Steps:

• Combine cumin and chili powder; rub over both sides of pork. In a large skillet, brown pork chops in oil on both sides over medium heat. , In a small bowl, combine the salsa, cocoa and cinnamon; pour over pork. Bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 145°, stirring sauce occasionally. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onion.

MEXICAN PORK STEW

Steps:

• In a large skillet that has been coated with cooking spray, brown pork and garlic. Add onion, saute until tender. Stir in tomatoes, chilies, cilantro, oregano and bay leaves; cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until pork is tender and no longer pink., In a bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Discard bay leaves.

CUBAN PORK

Steps:

• Flatten the pork tenderloin slices slightly, and set aside. In a bowl, mix together the lime zest, olive oil, cumin, salt, crushed red pepper, and garlic. Reserve the lime juice. Rub the seasoning mixture onto both sides of the pork slices.
• Spray a heavy skillet or ridged grill pan with cooking spray, and place over medium heat. Pan-fry the pork slices until browned on both sides, 6 to 7 minutes per side. After you turn the meat over, pour the reserved lime juice over the meat and continue cooking until no longer pink in the center. Serve hot, topped with pan juices.

MEXICAN PORK CUBES

Steps:

• Sprinkle meat with spices and place meat in saucepan with onion and butter and brown on both sides of pork chops.
• Then add in the salsa and red wine vinegar and remove pork chops one at a time cutting into cubes, and place back in pan when finished cutting.
• Once all pork is cooked through take off heat and sprinkle with cheese and place lid on pan and leave until melted.

TíA CHITA'S TRADITIONAL MEXICAN PORK TAMALES

Steps:

• There are a few steps to making tamales and it is usually an all-day affair.
• Cooking the meat: Chop the pork butt into 3-inch cubes; reserve the bone.
• Add the oil to a large pot or Dutch oven and place over medium-high heat (we use a Dutch oven because it seems to cook faster). Add the pork butt to the pot. Sear the sides slightly until just golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add the peppercorns, bay leaves, onion, 3 cloves of the garlic and 1 tablespoon salt. Add 2 to 4 cups of water, or enough to cover the pork butt, then add the reserved bone. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and bring it to a boil. Cook on medium heat until very tender, about 2 hours.
• Preparing the corn husks: Separate the corn husks and take off all the little hairs and dust from them. Allow them to soak in hot water while the pork is cooking (or soak overnight).
• Carefully remove the pork from the broth with tongs to a plate or cutting board. Pour the leftover broth through a colander into a large bowl so that all the onion and other ingredients stay behind. Set the strained broth aside for later (about 4 cups).
• Shred the meat with 2 forks into small bite-size pieces. (You want it small enough that you aren't getting large pieces or chunks into the tamal.) Transfer to a medium saucepan.
• Preparing the chile: Cut the stems from the ancho chiles, open them and remove all the seeds and veins. Put them in a 3-quart saucepan, cover with water and add 1 teaspoon salt. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, remove from the heat, set aside, cover and let steam for 5 minutes.
• To a blender, add the softened chiles, ground cumin and 1/4 teaspoon salt and blend. Press in the remaining clove of garlic and slowly add 2/3 cup of the reserved pork broth. Continue to blend until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the chile mixture for the masa, then pour the remaining red chile sauce over the shredded pork and mix together to combine. Keep warm over low heat.
• Preparing the masa: Melt the lard in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Pour the melted lard into a large bowl. Add the masa harina to the bowl of lard, then add the baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, reserved 1/4 cup of the red chile sauce and 1/2 cup of the reserved pork broth. Knead well. Add more pork broth as needed until the dough is moistened and fluffy.
• Assembling the tamales: Drain the husks and pat them dry with a clean towel. Spread the kneaded masa onto the smooth side of the corn husks with a spoon in the center of the husks (2 to 3 tablespoons of masa per husk). Add the meat to the center of the masa, 1 to 2 tablespoons per husk. Fold over the husks in half vertically so that the masa wraps around the filling completely. Fold the pointy side up at the end to hold the tamale in place.
• Cooking the tamales: Arrange the tamales open-side up around the inside of a steamer basket that fits into a large (10-quart) pot, packing the tamales together. If there's extra space in the steamer basket, place a mason jar or small heatproof ceramic bowl upside down in the center, arranging the tamales around it. Arrange a layer of husks around the sides of the steamer basket and up over the top of the tamales and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Fill the large pot with 1 to 2 inches of water. (Note: You can put a penny at the bottom of the pot so you can hear it rolling when you need more water.) Bring the water to a rolling simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium low, set the steamer basket inside of the pot and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Allow the tamales to steam for 1 to 2 hours or until the masa pulls away from the husks. Let sit to cool down for 5 to 10 minutes. Use tongs to remove the tamales afterwards and set on a jelly roll pan to cool down.

MEXICAN TRIPE AND PORK SOUP

Steps:

• Set up a large pot of boiling water. Add the red wine vinegar, garlic head halves, 1/2 cup salt, 4 of the bay leaves and 1 bunch of thyme. Bring back to a boil, then add the tripe. Simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the tripe from the water and slice into strips; set aside.
• Add 2 cups of water to a small saucepan. Add the dried guajillo chiles and turn on the heat. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and allow to rehydrate for 10 minutes. Add the contents of the pan into a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.
• Preheat a grill pan to high heat. Add the corn and char on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Cut the kernels from the cobs and set aside.
• Season the pork shoulder with salt. Heat a large saute pan with 2 tablespoons of the extra-virgin olive oil. Sear the pork shoulder, in batches, until brown on all sides. 5 to 7 minutes.
• Coat a large Dutch oven generously with remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and turn on the heat to medium high. Add the onion, minced garlic and jalapeno and saute until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the cilantro stems, lime zest and juice and 2 cups of the chicken stock. Reduce for 5 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste, remaining 3 bay leaves, remaining 1 bunch thyme tied with string and the remaining chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the coriander, cumin, sliced tripe and 1/2 cup of the pureed guajillo chile mixture to the soup. Add the seared pork shoulder and squash. Simmer the soup on medium to medium-low heat, about 30 minutes. Finish the soup with half the charred corn and 2 tablespoons of the pureed guajillo chiles.
• Set up a deep fryer with canola oil and heat to 350 degrees F. Fry the corn tortillas until crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with salt.
• Crush the toasted pumpkin seeds and mix with the pumpkin oil.
• Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with the remaining charred corn, crispy tortillas, pumpkin seeds and oil and cilantro leaves.

MARINATED PORK CUBES

Steps:

• In a large bowl combine first 8 ingredients (oil-bay leaf) and then season with salt and pepper. Add meat and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight or several hours (at least 4 hours), stirring occasionally.
• Remove meat from marinade using a slotted spoon. (Remember to reserve 1 tablespoon marinade for dip if making).
• Heat one tablespoon marinade in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add meat in batches and cook until meat is brown (15 minutes).
• Transfer to heated platter and serve with dip (see below) as an appetizer or serve over rice as a main dish.
• To make dip: heat one tablespoon reserved marinade in a small skillet over low heat. Stir in almonds and cook until lightly colored. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly (1-2 minutes). Add Sherry, water and salt and simmer 2-3 minutes longer.