Brio’s Grilled Pork in Cascabel Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

Cascabel Chile Purée:

8-10 dried cascabel chiles
2 cups chicken stock

Marinade for Pork:

1/2 cup chile puree (recipe above)
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup peanut oil
2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
salt to taste
4 pork tenderloins, 4-6 oz. each, membrane removed

Cascabel Cream Sauce:

1-1/2 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup chile puree
3/4 cup heavy cream

Chiles Rellenos:

4 medium ancho chiles
1 cup cooked and seasoned black beans, well drained
1/4 cup mild goat cheese
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar, such as Vermont
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2-3 Tbsp. sliced green onions, tips and stems
beer batter (your favorite recipe)

Wilted Red Chard:

2-3 bunches red chard
2 Tbsp. mild vinegar
2 Tbsp. buttersalt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Make Cascabel chile puree:

Seed the chiles and toast in a saute pan. Put the stock and chiles in a saucepan and simmer 15 minutes. Purée in a blender and set aside to cool.

For the marinade:

Combine the first 4 ingredients of the marinade in a bowl, mix well. Add the meat and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Grill to the desired temperature and slice into medallions just before serving.

For the Cascabel cream sauce:

Reduce the stock by half over high heat. Add the puree and cream and reduce over high heat to desired thickness.

For the Chile rellenos:

Steam the chiles for 10 minutes or until pliable. Cool and slit the chiles lengthwise (making the cut as short as possible), and remove the seeds but not skins. Combine the next 5 ingredients and stuff chiles (do not overfill). Dust the chiles in flour and shake off any excess. Hold each chile by the stem and dip in the batter. Deep-fry at 350F until golden brown.

For the Wilted chard:

Remove the thick part of the chard stems. Saute the leaves with the remaining ingredients until just barely wilted.

To serve dish:

Place the grilled pork medallions on top of the sauce, with the chiles rellenos and chard to the side. Guacamole garnish optional.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe featured in the November 1995 issue of Texas Monthly.