Tangy Tomatillo Pork

It's been two weeks since my last post - now how did that happen? I could list some recent distractions, things like house guests, Happy Hours, walks in the park, online classes, etc. The truth is that I've filled my time with things other than inspired cooking or photography. That's life - busy, fun and frequently spontaneous. I can relate to a John Lennon quote, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." 


Most recently an online CreativeLive Lightroom Workshop has kept me tethered to the computer, challenging my brain with all manner of things photographic. For three days, from 9 a.m. till 4 p .m., I have focused intently on images, keystrokes and commands, shortcuts, process and workflow... until my stomach growled, grumbled and finally roared, sending me to the kitchen to grab a quick snack. It's amazing how often you can graze and nibble  without actually cooking anything. 


I finally turned to the refrigerator and freezer, hoping to find something easy, already prepared, ready to reheat or even defrost. Instead I spied a chunk of fresh pork tenderloin, a frozen tub of already-roasted tomatillos, a bunch of cilantro, several green onions and a partial carton of sour cream. Not a bad start, these ingredients were familiar basics, almost all I needed for a  simplified version of Tomatillo-Braised Pork Loin, a favorite Rick Bayless' recipe. (link) I worried briefly that the tomatillo sauce would be flat without the usual roasted poblanos, but that proved to be a non-issue. Adding a dollop of tomatillo sauce sour cream to the dish was a tasty finishing touch, a substitute perhaps for those missing peppers. 


There's something about March that leads me to tangy or spicy pork dishes In 2010 it was Chili Verde, in 2011 it was Pork with Poblano Peppers, and now here's Tangy Tomatillo Pork. Is it Mexican March Madness? No, I think it's more like a lot of good Mexican-influenced cooking year 'round. 

Tangy Tomatillo Pork

Serves 2-3

1 pork loin

salt and pepper

canola oil or olive oil

8 to 10 tomatillos, roasted

1 bunch cilantro 

3 or 4 green onions, sliced (or 1/4 cup chopped yellow onions)

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (optional)

chicken broth or water, as needed

sour cream

1. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the husked and cleaned tomatillos on it stem side up. Broil the tomatillos until blistered on top; turn over and broil to blister the rounded bottoms. Transfer the tomatillos and any juices to a blender. Add the cilantro, stems and leaves, to the blender and whiz until thoroughly pureed. ( Or use an immersion stick blender.) Set aside 2 to 3 tablespoons to mix with sour cream for a topping.
2. Dry the meat and season well with salt and pepper. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork until browned on all sides, but don't cook it through. Remove the pork from the pan and set aside.
3. Add the onions and garlic (if using) to the pan and cook until fragrant. Add the tomatillo cilantro mixture to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until darkened and thickened slightly.
4. Place the meat in the pan, turning to coat with the sauce, and reduce the heat so the sauce is barely bubbling. Cover and cook at a low simmer for 15 minutes. Turn over and continue cooking covered for another 15 minutes, or until the meat reaches 145 F or barely pink inside. Add chicken broth as needed/if needed to thin the sauce and keep it from scorching while the pork cooks.
5. Rest the meat for a few minutes, then slice and serve over a puddle of sauce. Top with a dollop of tomatillo-sauced sour cream.

Colcannon with Kale

A Saint Paddy's Day Treat

Colcannon is a favorite dish on any day. It's not just a St. Patrick's Day special, though it is a perfect choice to accompany a piece of corned beef and a pile of orange and honey sauced carrots. With a dish this tasty, why would you ignore it the rest of the year? Well, we don't.


Many traditional colcannon recipes call for creamy mashed potatoes mixed with shreds of cooked cabbage, a few scallions, heavy cream and a lot of melted butter. Oh yes, a whole lot of butter. A few recipes call for crumbled bacon, most have no bacon at all. I found one over-the-top recipe that suggested serving a colcannon volcano, complete with a depression on top to hold a pool of melted butter. That same recipe also called for rashers of crisp bacon stacked vertically around the volcano's outside edge. Could you argue that the shreds of green cabbage made this a healthy dish? Mmmmm, maybe not healthy, but it must be an amazing sight at the table.


My current version is tasty, quick and easy to prepare, but clearly not an Irish classic . No matter, we love this colcannon made with kale and a bit of butter... bacon optional. 

Colcannon with Kale

serves 4-6


2 strips bacon (optional)
2 large russet potatoes (baking potatoes)
1 bunch skinny kale (lacinato or dinosaur kale), destemmed and cut in fine shreds
1 small bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 cube butter (2 oz or 4 tablespoons) divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup low-fat milk
Salt and pepper to taste

1. If you're using bacon, cook it till crisp and set aside. Use the microwave or do this on the stovetop.
2. Use the microwave to nuke the whole potatoes; set aside and keep warm while you cook the kale.
3. Melt a generous tablespoon of butter and a bit of olive oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed pot. Add the shredded kale a handful at a time until it wilts, and then add the chopped green onions. Stir in the broth and milk and bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining butter to the pot.
4. Slice the cooked potatoes lengthwise; use a fork, to shred the insides into the kale mixture. Mix together with the fork and roughly smash into the  desired consistency (I like mine rustic rather than smooth and creamy). Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Top with the crumbled bacon if using, or stir it in. Consider minced parsley as another topping option.

Notes: 

- On the boat I use the microwave for the entire dish rather than the stovetop. It adapts easily and the results are similar - delicious!

- Leftovers reheat well in the microwave, or even as potato patties on the stovetop. 

- Thinned with more chicken broth, any leftover colcannon turns into a tasty potato soup. If you need to stretch it a bit, add some instant potatoes to the soup (I won't tell).

- Skip the bacon, substitute vegetable broth, and the recipe works on an Almost Meatless Monday menu.