Yucatecan Pork

As you know, we are home now, and I am back to cooking in my own kitchen once again. Even though we are back home in Denver, my taste buds seem to still be somewhere in the Yucatan regions of Mexico. I made some Yucatecan pork for dinner that rivaled many of the dishes we recently enjoyed in Cozumel.

First I marinated my pork chops in lime juice with some chili lime seasoning, garlic, cumin and cilantro for about 3 hours, to make it it juicy and tender and to let all the delicious Mexican flavors penetrate the meat.

Next I made a compound butter of jalapenos, garlic, lime juice, cilantro and more of the same seasonings, as well as a dash of cayenne pepper. Once the butter was made, I wrapped it in plastic wrap and let it set in the refrigerator until I was ready to use it.

Put all the ingredients together in the food processor except the butter. Once they are all chopped fine, mix it all into softened butter, then place it all on a piece of plastic wrap and roll. The tightly seal it and refrigerate.

I sliced some some onions, red bell pepper and delicato squash into thin slices. and sauteed them all in some olive oil with a dash of the compound butter and salt & pepper for about 5-7 minutes, or until they were tender and the onions were translucent.

As the vegetables were cooking, in another skillet, I seared the pork for about 3 minutes per side until it was crusted over. Get the skillet VERY hot, then add some olive oil and more of the compound butter to cook the pork (you can do the same for either chicken or steak too, just adjust the cooking times as needed).

Once the pork has a nice crust all around, place it in an oven at about 375-400*F for about 15-20 minutes, or until the pork is completely cooked, with an internal temperature of about 160-165*F.

When the pork is finished cooking, top it with the vegetables and sauce. I served this with roasted potatoes on the side, with a glass or two of chilled white wine. !Delicioso!

Just because I am at home now, it does not man I can’t still enjoy the flavors of Mexico. The beauty of cooking international styled foods is that you can still be on vacation even from the comforts of your own home and kitchen, any time. You don’t have to wait for vacation time to come around. You can recreate you vacation anytime you like in the comfort of your own kitchen. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.