Mexican Corn Cakes with Shredded Pork and Pico de Gallo
Jalapenos are the most popular chile peppers in the US. This is probably due to the availability and versatility of the chile. Jalapenos have a balanced combination of flavor and heat.
The demand for these have caused breeders to develop a broad range of varieties. You can now get jalapenos with various heat level and sizes. These can be used in salsas, stuffed, or eaten straight with cheeseburgers (my personal favorite).
Ingredients:
For the pork:
1 pound pork tenderloin
4 cups chicken stock
1 large onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno, minced
2 1/2 to 3 cups loosely packed cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the corn cakes:
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup grated cotija or queso fresco cheese
2 cups frozen corn
3/4 to 1 cup water
vegetable oil for frying
For serving:
sliced avocado pico de gallo
cotija or queso fresco cheese
Pico de Gallo:
4 roma tomatoes, deseeded, and chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
~1/4 cup chopped cilantro
juice of one lime
~1 teaspoon kosher salt
for more spice, add 1 seeded, diced jalapeno
Instructions:
First, make the pork. combine pork, stock, half the onions, jalapeno, cilantro, cumin, bay leaf, and a hearty pinch of salt in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the pork measures 138F, about 15 minutes, checking it after 10 minutes.
Remove pork from the liquid and cut into two to three inch long pieces. transfer to a foil lined baking sheet and shred. Add the remaining onion and stir in butter and olive oil. Set aside until the corn cakes are made. to make the corn cakes, whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the cheese and corn. stir in the water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the mixture holds together.
Shape about 1/3 cup of the corn mixture into a patty about 1/2 inch thick and place on a plate. Repeat with the remaining corn mixture.
Coat the bottom of a large skillet with about a quarter inch of oil and place over medium heat. Fry the first batch of corn cakes, about 4 minutes per side. When you have one batch of corn cakes left to fry, turn on your broiler. When it’s heated, broil the pork until golden brown, about five minutes. Remove from the oven and tent with foil until the corn cakes are done.
Serve the corn cakes topped with pork, avocado, pico de gallo, and cheese.
For the Pico de Gallo:
Mix well. Let sit about an hour before serving to let the flavors meld.
From kitchentrialanderror.blogspot.com