Pork tenderloin a la Mexicana

Recipes: Mexican home-style pork tenderloin, Fried black beans, Broiled asparagus

Home-style cooking is the best of any cuisine, in my opinion, and the home cooking of Mexico is no exception. Easy and satisfying, the subtle spicing of "real" Mexican food brings a lot of pleasure. Make this staple with boneless pork loin chops, or get one of those small tenderloin roasts and cut it up. It's also delicious with chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs, with chunks of rib eye steak, and with shrimp instead of pork.

I love this dish with fried black beans. You may prefer another kind of beans, or steamed rice. It's all good!

Pork Tenderloin a la Mexicana

Adapted from a recipe in the book that's my bible of Mexican cooking, Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday

• 1 large fresh pasilla or poblano chile
• 3/4 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
• Sea salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small or 1/2 large yellow onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2 garlic cloves, pelled and finely chopped
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
• 1 small branch fresh epazote*, or a handful of coarsely chopped cilantro

*A word about epazote, which is a green herb used often in Mexican cooking. It's a seasoning that's been used since the time of the Aztecs, and one of its properties is that it reduces gas from eating beans. Epazote is not easy to find in the U.S., although it grows wild in Mexico. If you have grocery stores that carry Mexican products, they may have it. It's easy to grow in mild climates - I have an epazote plant in my herb garden in northern California and so far it's perennial, i.e. it comes back every spring. If you can't find it in your area, just go on without it. There is a certain authentic taste that will be missing, but your food will be delicious anyway.

Roast the pepper over the open flame of your gas burner, or 4 inches below a gas broiler, turning it over regularly until the skin is blistered and blackened all over, about 5 to 10 minutes. If you don't have gas, toast the pepper in a small dry skillet, pressing it down and turning it until the skin is blackened. Place in a bowl and cover with a kitchen towel to steam and cool down.

While the chiles are cooling, pat the meat dry with paper towels and sprinkle all over with salt. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high. Add the pork pieces in a single layer and cook, stirring and turning, until browned, about 4 minutes. Remove them to a plate, leaving as much oil as possible behind.

Rub the blackened skin off the chiles and pull out the stems and seeds. Rinse the chiles to remove any leftover skin and seeds. Cut into 1/4-inch strips.

Reheat the skillet over medium high. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until richly golden but still crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chile strips and stir for a minute, then pour in the drained tomatoes, broth, Worchestershire, and epazote, if you have it. If you're using cilantro instead, you'll add it later. Bring it all to a boil and let cook until thickened a little, about 5 minutes. Add the meat (and cilantro, if that's what you're using). Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the pork is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes.

Taste and season with about 1 teaspoon salt. Remove the epazote sprig, if you used it.

Fried Black Beans

In a small skillet, melt 1 tablespoon bacon drippings. Add a 15-oz. can of black beans with its liquid and cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid cooks away. Watch it carefully toward the end, as you want to catch it just as the liquid evaporates and before it burns. Add sea salt to taste at the end of cooking.

Serve with nearly anything, including the pork tenderloin above.

Broiled (or Grilled) Asparagus

Asparagus is not necessarily served with this dish in Mexico, but I just thought the green was pretty on the plate. And I had asparagus and wanted to use it. Another green vegetable would be good too, or a salsa.

Cut or break the tough ends off, and wash and dry the asparagus stalks. Lay them in a dish that will withstand the broiler heat and that will accommodate them in a single layer. Drizzle olive oil over and sprinkle liberally with sea salt. Turn the stalks over with your hands to distribute the oil and salt evenly.

Broil on high for 4 minutes (less if the stalks are very thin), or until the stalks are browned a little. Turn them over and broil again for 2 minutes. If you wish, you can sprinkle them with grated Parmigiana or with a little balsamic vinegar. These are good hot or at room temperature.

If you happen to have the grill on, you can lay the oiled and salted stalks on the hot grill for a couple of minutes, then turn them over until browned, instead of broiling.