Mexican Braised Pork with Pumpkin


POINTS® Value |  10
Servings | 4
Preparation Time | 30 min
Cooking Time | 50 min
Level of Difficulty | Difficult

main meals | Spend a little extra time in the kitchen tonight to make this fabulous Mexican specialty. It's a hearty serving that truly satisfies!


2 Tbsp corn oil
1 1/2 pound lean pork tenderloin, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
1 medium onion(s), white, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 cup canned chicken broth
1/3 cup fresh orange juice, freshly squeezed from 1 orange
1/8 oz thyme, use 2 fresh sprigs
2 piece bay leaf
1 1/4 tsp sea salt, divided
3 pound winter squash, use a 3 lb pumpkin
1 dried ancho pepper(s), large, seeded, soaked in hot water until soft
2 sun-dried hot chile pepper(s), such as small arbols, seeded, soaked in hot water until soft
1 small onion(s), chopped
2 medium garlic clove(s), chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds (unhulled), toasted

Instructions


1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper. Cook pork until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes; remove pork from skillet and set aside.
2. Add onion to skillet; cook until dark brown but not burned, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add broth, orange juice, thyme and bay leaves to skillet; scrape bottom of pan with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits of food on bottom of skillet.
3. Add pork back to skillet. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover skillet, increase heat to medium and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated; set skillet aside.
4. While pork cooks, place a large pot of water over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of sea salt and bring to a boil. Slice pumpkin into 10 pieces and scrape out seeds. Place pumpkin in water and boil until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and set aside; drain remaining water. Scoop pumpkin flesh out of peel with a spoon; mash pumpkin and set aside.
5. Place all 3 chile peppers, onion, garlic, cumin, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt, black pepper and reserved pumpkin cooking liquid in a blender or food processor; process until smooth and stir mixture into mashed pumpkin until well mixed.
6. To serve, place 1 3/4 cup of pumpkin mixture on each of 4 plates; top each with 1 1/4 cups of pork and 2 teaspoons of toasted pumpkin seeds.



Notes

Do not touch chile pepper seeds with your bare hands.


-- Edited by Colette at 19:06, 2005-11-30