Pork In Pipian Sauce Recipes

PORK CHOPS IN PIPIAN

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Remove the stems from the chiles de árbol, and gently roll the chiles between your fingers to remove the seeds. Discard seeds. Set a bare skillet over high heat for 5 minutes, then add the chiles. Toast until they are darkened and fragrant, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Place them in a bowl, cover with 2 cups boiling or very hot water, and set aside to soak.
• Return the skillet to high heat. Add the tomatoes, onion and garlic, and cook, turning occasionally, until charred, approximately 10 minutes. Put the vegetables on a plate, and set aside to cool, then slip the skins off the cloves of garlic.
• Return the skillet to medium-low heat. Place the pumpkin seeds, peanuts and sesame seeds in the skillet, and cook, stirring and shaking the pan continuously, until they are toasted and fragrant, approximately 2 to 4 minutes. Put the seeds and nuts in a bowl, and stir in the cinnamon, cloves and allspice.
• Put the chiles and soaking liquid in a blender with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, the nut-seed mixture and the chipotle. Purée until smooth.
• Add the oil, lard or chicken fat to a large, heavy-bottomed pot, and heat over medium heat until it is nearly smoking. Add the purée. It will sputter a lot. Lower the heat, and stir, cooking the mixture down to a thick paste. It will continue to sputter and pop. Add the broth to the paste, and stir, then season with the salt, sugar and vinegar, and cook for another 15 minutes or so, until it resembles a thick, creamy soup. Lower heat to a bare simmer.
• Make the pork chops: Season the pork chops aggressively with salt and pepper, and dust them with the flour. Add the oil to the skillet, and heat over medium-high heat until nearly smoking. Add the chops, and let them cook undisturbed, in batches if necessary, until crisp and well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Set them aside to rest for 5 minutes or so. Serve a chop per person on a generous amount of sauce, with tortillas to mop it up. Extra sauce can be used to braise chicken, lamb or more pork, or as a topping for enchiladas.

GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH PIPIAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Place pork between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Pound to 1/4- to 1/2-inch thickness. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add next 5 ingredients. Sauté until seeds are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
• Place 4 cups water, tomatillos, and jalapeño in small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until tomatillos are soft and olive-green color, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Transfer tomatillos, jalapeño, reserved 1/4 cup liquid, cilantro, lettuce, broth, radishes, and seed mixture to blender. Blend sauce until smooth, stopping occasionally to push down ingredients.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sauce; cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
• Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Divide among 4 plates. Stir sauce over medium heat until heated through. Spoon sauce over pork.
• Green tomato-like vegetables with paper-thin husks. Available at Latin American markets and some supermarkets.

GREEN PIPIAN

Steps:

• Heat a heavy Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat and add the pumpkin seeds. Wait until you hear one pop, then stir constantly until they have puffed and popped, and smell toasty. They should not get any darker than golden or they will taste bitter. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
• Place the cooled pumpkin seeds in a blender and add the tomatillos, chiles, lettuce, onion, garlic, cilantro, and 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Cover the blender and blend the mixture until smooth, stopping the blender to stir if necessary.
• Heat the oil in the Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in a bit of the pumpkin seed mixture and if it sizzles, add the rest. Cook, stirring, until the mixture darkens and thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. It will splutter, so be careful. Hold the lid of the pot above the pot to shield you and your stove from the splutters. Add the remaining chicken stock, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the sauce is thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt. For a silkier sauce, blend again in batches.