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Pork Chuleta

This is a very simple country-style recipe, kind of like the old family standby of fried pork chops, and is quite tasty if prepared correctly. It is important not to overcook the pork or it will be dry and chewy. In Mexico, pork shoulder chops or other secondary cuts are traditional, but I’ve used pork loin here to make preparation as easy as possible. Leave any fat on the loin to help keep it moist. If your loin is very lean (and modern pork tends to be very lean), letting it sit in a brine made of 8 cups water, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 head garlic, halved, for 2 hours will make the pork juicier and give it a nice aroma.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 8 tacos

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/2 teaspoon coriander seed, toasted and ground (page 164)
1/4 teaspoon ground canela (or pinch of ground cinnamon), page 151
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 (5 1/2-inch) soft yellow corn tortillas (page 13), for serving
Garnish: Avocado slices dressed with a squeeze of fresh lime juice

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, place the pork slices and sprinkle with the coriander, canela, salt, and pepper, being sure to coat the pork evenly. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the pork slices and sear on both sides until the meat is barely cooked through, about 6 minutes. Dice the pork into bite-sized pieces and serve immediately.

    Step 2

    To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the filling equally between the tortillas and top with avocado and salsa. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some filling, top with avocado and salsa, fold, and eat right away.

Tacos by Mark Miller with Benjamin Hargett and Jane Horn. Copyright © 2009 by Mark Miller with Benjamin Hargett and Jane Horn. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. Mark Miller is the acclaimed chef-founder of Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has started and owned thirteen different restaurants on three continents from 1979 to 2008. He is the author of ten books with nearly 1 million copies in print, including Tacos, The Great Chile Book, The Great Salsa Book, and Coyote Cafe. Mark currently works in International Culinary Consulting and lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Benjamin Hargett is a travel-loving chef who has cooked in Europe, the Carribean, Mexico, and the United States, where he worked with Mark Miller at the Coyote Café for many years.
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