Saturday, April 27, 2013

Pork Fajitas with Smoky Cherry Salsa

This is a treat my charactor from my blog Escapades , Detective Carlotta Rodriguez might fix for her boyfriend, Assistant District Attorney ,Keith Wallace...

Carlotta was nice enough to share this recipe with the readers of this Blog..This pork fajitas recipe with grilled pork tenderloin, onions, and peppers gets a sweet-smoky aroma and flavor when topped with chipotle-infused cherry salsa. Manchego cheese, though untraditional for fajitas, pairs nicely.
Check it out and thank you Carlotta! (Shameless plug for my other blog)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 teaspoon(s) salt
  • 1 pinch(s) salt
  • 2 clove(s) garlic, minced
  • 2 limes
  • 6 teaspoon(s) lime juice, divided
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground chipotle pepper (see Tips), divided
  • 1 1/4 pound(s) pork tenderloin, trimmed
  • 1 medium white onion, thickly sliced crosswise
  • 1 red or green bell pepper, quartered
  • 1 cup(s) chopped, pitted sweet or sour fresh cherries (see Tips)
  • 1/4 cup(s) finely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup(s) shredded Manchego or Cheddar cheese
  • 8 6-inch corn tortillas, warmed (see Tips)


DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
  2. Mash 1 teaspoon salt and garlic in a small bowl with a mortar and pestle, or a spoon, until a paste forms. Mix in lime zest, 2 teaspoons lime juice, and 1 teaspoon ground chipotle. Rub the paste all over pork.
  3. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the pork, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reaches 145 degrees F, 13 to 15 minutes. Grill onion and bell pepper, turning occasionally, until charred and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the pork to a clean cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
  4. Combine cherries, cilantro, the remaining 4 teaspoons lime juice, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon chipotle, and pinch of salt in a bowl. Finely chop one slice of grilled onion and stir into the salsa.
  5. Thinly slice the remaining onion and pepper. Thinly slice the pork. Serve the pork and vegetables with the salsa and cheese on tortillas.
(Don't Sweat the) Tips & Techniques- Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeños. Look for ground chipotle in the spice section of most supermarkets or online at penzeys.com. To pit fresh cherries, use a tool made for the job—a hand-held cherry pitter; it also works for olives! Or pry out the pit with the tip of a knife or vegetable peeler. To warm corn tortillas, wrap a stack of tortillas in barely damp paper towels; microwave on High for 30 to 45 seconds. Or wrap stacks of 4 tortillas in foil; place in a 375 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Wrap tortillas in a clean towel to keep warm. Oiling a grill rack before you grill foods helps ensure that the food won't stick. Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.) When grilling delicate foods like tofu and fish, it is helpful to coat the food with cooking spray.

Have with a tall glass of beer...Another of my charactors from my blog,Escapades...Bar manager, Honey Brown, would serve you a Corona! Thank You Honey! (Second Shameless plug for my other blog!)


Enjoy your Saturday! Eat and Drink well my friends...
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4 comments:

Toni said...

I actually thought I was on Escapades when I came over here and saw Detective Carlotta Rodriguez and Honey Brown...Nice crossover LOL!

April 27, 2013 at 6:34 AM
Angie B. said...

Nice Cross promotion of Blogs...I don't think Escapades needs any promotion..LOL!

April 27, 2013 at 6:35 AM
Amaryllis said...

Mmmmm Looks good Keith!

April 27, 2013 at 6:35 AM
Grover Tha Playboy said...

LOL! I got confused too,Seeing Carlotta and Honey over here..Nice!
Good Recipe too!

April 27, 2013 at 6:36 AM

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Food Safety Tips
Protect yourself against food-borne illnesses.


1. Use a "refrigerator thermometer" to keep your food stored at a safe temperature (below 40 degrees fahrenheit).

Cold temperatures slow the growth of bacteria. Ensuring that your refrigerator temperature stays at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of food-borne illness. You can buy a refrigerator/freezer thermometer at appliance stories, home centers (i.e. Home Depot), and kitchen stores including online ones, such as Cooking.com.

2. Defrost food in the refrigerator, the microwave, or in cold water... never on the counter!

Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter for longer than two hours because, while the center of the food may remain frozen, the outer surface may enter the Danger Zone, the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly. If you’re short on time, use the microwave or you can thaw meat and poultry in airtight packaging in cold water. Change the water every half-hour so it stays cold and use the thawed food immediately.

3. Always use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/fish and cooked foods/fresh produce.

Bacteria from uncooked meat, poultry, and fish can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. An important way to reduce this risk is to use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/ fish, and cooked foods/fresh produce.

4. Always cook meat to proper temperatures, using a calibrated instant-read thermometer to make sure.

One effective way to prevent illness is to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, and egg dishes. The USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures are as follows:

* Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks and roasts), fish - 145 degrees fahrenheit

* Pork and ground beef - 160 degrees fahrenheit

* Poultry - 165 degrees fahrenheit.

Cook meats like roasts and steaks to lower temperatures, closer to medium-rare, so that they retain their moisture. It is recommended that those who are at high risk for developing food-borne illness (i.e. pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, or certain chronic illnesses) should follow the USDA guidelines.

5. Avoid unpasteurized/raw milk and cheeses made from unpasteurized milk that are aged less than 60 days.

Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized (heated to a very high temperature for a specific length of time) to kill harmful bacteria that may be present. These bacteria, which include salmonella, E. coli and listeria, can cause serious illness and sometimes even death. The bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Raw milk cheeses aged 60 days or longer are okay, since the salt and acidity of the cheese-making process make for a hostile environment to pathogens.

6. Never eat "runny" eggs or foods, such as cookie dough, that contain raw eggs.

Even eggs that have clean, intact shells may be contaminated with salmonella, so it’s important to cook eggs thoroughly until both the yolk and the white are firm. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees fahrenheit and you can use an instant-read food thermometer to check. Eggs should always be cooked fully and those who are at high risk for developing foodborne illness (pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems or certain chronic illnesses should follow the USDA guidelines. If you can’t resist runny eggs or sampling cookie batter, use pasteurized eggs. They’re found near other eggs in large supermarkets.

7. Always wash your hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling food and after touching raw meat, poultry, or eggs.

You can pick up a lot of bacteria out in the world, so it’s important to always wash your hands before you eat or prepare food. You should also wash your hands after touching any uncooked meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, as the bacteria from these foods can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. Use soap and warm water and wash thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.

8. Always heat leftover foods to 165 degrees fahrenheit.

The USDA recommends heating all cooked leftovers to 165 degrees fahrenheit in order to kill all potentially dangerous bacteria.

9. Never eat meat, poultry, eggs, or sliced fresh fruits and vegetables that have been left out for more than two hours or more than one hour in temperatures hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you leave perishable foods out of the refrigerator or freezer for more than two hours they may enter the Danger Zone—the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly.

10. Whenever there’s a food recall, check products stored at home to make sure they are safe.

You should discard any food that’s been recalled because it’s associated with the outbreak of a food-borne illness. But, according to a survey conducted by Rutgers University during the fall of 2008, only about 60% of Americans search their homes for foods that have been recalled because of contamination. For more information on food recalls, visit the website Recalls.gov






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