Pineapple-Chipotle Pork Tacos by The Redhead Baker

Have I mentioned that I don't like pineapple?

I've tried. I've eaten it quite a few times, thinking maybe I didn't get a "good" one the last time. But sadly, I don't like pineapple. Not on its own.

When pineapple is not the dominant flavor, however, I've really enjoyed recipes that include it, like the jerk burgers with pineapple-lime salsa, and the red, white, and blue sangria.

And the streak continues with these pineapple-chipotle pork tacos. I needed pineapple juice for the sangria, and I bought a four-pack of 8-ounce cans at Trader Joe's. The sangria only used 1 can, so I had 3 left over. What to do with 24 ounces of pineapple juice?

Dave used two cans to experiment with a new cocktail. I did a Google search to find a recipe to use the last one. I knew I had a pork tenderloin in the freezer to use. And on About.com, I found pineapple-chipotle pork. At the bottom of the recipe, they note that the pork can be sliced thinly and served on a tortilla, so I decided to serve it that way.

These tacos were delicious — the marinade makes them SPICY, but the avocado crema cuts the heat. All that being said, they needed something more. Maybe some type of salsa or slaw for a textural crunch.

Well, I guess I'll just have to make these again. 😉 Oh, the sacrifices I make for this blog!

Recipe: Pineapple-Chipotle Pork Tacos

Adapted from About.com

Ingredients

For the tacos:
4 soft flour tortillas
8 oz pineapple juice
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
Kosher salt to taste
Vegetable oil
For the avocado crema:
1 ripe avocado, mashed
2 tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Put the pineapple juice in a small mixing bowl. Using a microplane, grate the garlic into the pineapple juice. Add the chipotle pepper, chili powder,cumin, cinnamon and white vinegar and stir to combine.
Place the pork tenderloin in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade over top. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Chill in the refrigerator at least 8 hours, up to 24 hours.
Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. Season all over with salt to taste.
Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium and simmer 10 to 15 minutes to reduce the marinade down to a glaze; reserve.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Add the vegetable oil to a large skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown on all sides (about a minute per side). Transfer the pork to a roasting pan, brush on some of the glaze if desired, and roast in the oven for about 25 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
To serve, warm the tortillas on a paper towel in the microwave for 20 seconds. Divide the pork and the avocado crema among the tortillas.

Cooking time: 25 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4