Recipe Remix: Pork a la "Al Pastor"

Earlier this week I prepared a Jerk Pork Loin which was great, but since I'm not much of a "leftover" person, I started to think about ways in which I could turn the left over pork into another tasty dish.  Being a huge fan of Mexican cuisine I decided to make my version of a Pork Al Pastor.  The basis of  Pork Al Pastor is the technique of grilled pork on a vertical "spit", like Gyro meat.  Now, I don't have a spit just hanging out in my home so I improvised.  Being that my pork loin had previously been grilled, I simply cut the remainder into cubes and then sauteed the pork in a skillet with a blend of Mexican spices and a half a can of Green Chilies, and voila, Pork a la Al Pastor was born!  Sauteing the pork in olive oil gave it the right amount of browning and the pork tasted delicious, far from the Jerk Pork it once was.  I decided to make a naked burrito using the pork and my dinner for that night totaled a mere 380 calories.  This is definitely a dish that can be created using leftover chicken or beef/steak.  Go ahead give it a try, you won't be disappointed!

Jerk Pork

In Chicago there are many great Jamaican/Caribbean eateries offering up delicious dishes like Escovitch Fish or Jamaican Beef Patties.  My favorite Jamaican dish would have to be Jerk Chicken.  Jerk is a Caribbean take on grilling/barbecuing in which the meat is seasoned and marinated in spices such as Allspice and Nutmeg, with added heat imparted via the Scotch Bonnet or Habanero peppers.  My family is such huge fans of Jerk that we do everything from Jerk Ribs to Jerk Shrimp.  Having prepared Jerk Chicken before (everyone loved it!), I was eager to try Cook This Not That's recipe for Jerk Pork.  I have to say, this dish was true to the Caribbean Jerk taste.  I normally use a prepared marinade which is great, so when I first tasted the pork it was quite surprising that it tasted exactly like it had been prepared with a bottled version but it was from scratch which made it even better!  What are some of your favorite Caribbean dishes?

Jerk Pork

Ingredients

• 2 Habanero/Scotch Bonnet peppers, stemmed & chopped
• 8 Scallions, roughly chopped
• Juice of 2 Limes
• 2 Tbsp Canola Oil
• 3 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp Allspice
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
• Salt & Black Pepper to taste
• 1lb Pork Loin

Preparation

1. Place the peppers, scallions, lime juice, oil, garlic, allspice, nutmeg, and a good pinch of salt & pepper in a food processor or blender.  Pulse until the mixture forms a paste with the consistency of pesto, adding a bit of water if it's too dry.
2. Place pork (chicken drumsticks work great, too) in a sealable plastic bag and pour the jerk marinade over it.  Squeeze out the air, seal the bag, and rub the pork around to make sure it's evenly coated.  Marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour, but preferably overnight.
3. Preheat a grill, Remove the pork from the marinade and season with a bit more salt and pepper.  Grill, cooking on all sides, for about 10 minutes, until lightly charred and cooked through.  (An internal thermometer inserted into the center of the pork will read 140 degrees.)

*Makes 4 servings

*240 cals, 11g fat (2g saturated), 510mg sodium

*Cost per serving: $2.23

*Compare to: Macaroni Grill Prime Pork Loin, 670 cals, 24g fat (6g saturated), 1,820mg sodium, $14.99

Served w/ Brown Rice & organic Black Beans