Prickly Pork Recipes

PRICKLY PORK

Steps:

• Cut roast into large chunks and either season roast (or chops) with salt, pepper, cumin, garlic, and oregano.
• Place meat in the bottom of the crockpot.
• Cover meat with rinsed/drained/sliced nopalitos (cactus) and sliced onions and top with salsa.
• Cover crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours or until pork is cooked through, tender, and pullable with fork.
• Strain meat and vegetables from crockpot.
• Using 2 forks, shred meat and mix with vegetable mixture (may add some of the juice from the crockpot if you like it more moist) Serve shredded meat mixture as desired: with tortillas, taco shells (with or without toppings), or alone.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH PRICKLY PEAR TEQUILA BBQ SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat.
• Brush the pork tenderloins with oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Use a clean cloth or rolled paper towels soaked with oil to season the grill. Grill the tenderloins, turning as necessary to mark them well on all sides. Use a basting brush to coat the tenderloins with sauce. Turn the tenderloins about every 2 minutes and reapply sauce to ensure even caramelization. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 145 degrees F (for medium doneness) to 160 degrees F (for well done).
• Remove the tenderloins to a wire rack or plate to rest. Rest in a warm place for at least 5 to 7 minutes. Bring leftover sauce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Slice and serve with sauce for dipping or drizzling.
• Coat the whole red onions with canola oil and roast until inside layers are very soft, about 1 hour. Peel the onions and discard outer layers if blackened. Place in blender with prickly pear cactus puree and blend at high speed until completely smooth. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute minced onions until lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add coriander, cumin, pepper flakes, serrano, garlic, and lime zest. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Add Worcestershire, tequila, cider vinegar and lime juice. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half.
• Stir in onion/cactus fruit puree, water and salt, to taste, and bring to a simmer.
• Remove from heat and swirl in the remaining butter. The sauce may be blended to achieve a smoother consistency or left as it is.

APRICOT PORK TENDERLOIN

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Spread butter all over the pork tenderloin. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme. Combine garlic powder, apricot preserves, honey, and sherry in a separate bowl.
• Roast the pork in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the pork from the oven and brush with the apricot sauce. Return the pork to the oven. Continue roasting, basting occasionally with the remaining sauce, until the pork is no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).