Pork Tacos with Corn Salsa

Earlier this week I told you pizza is a staple on my menu each week. Another staple is some sort of Mexican food that involves a tortilla. While it's easy to throw together some simple tacos or fajitas without a recipe, I enjoy trying recipes for these dishes as well to keep things interesting. I really liked this recipe which uses shredded pork as the main ingredient accompanied with a fresh corn salsa.

Pork Tacos with Corn Salsa
adapted from dinneralovestory.com

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/4 lbs. pork tenderloin
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
dash red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
4-6 whole wheat tortillas
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
sour cream

Corn Salsa
2 cobs of corn, kernels removed
1 large tomato, diced
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
2 scallions, diced
splash of olive oil
lime juice - about half a lime
salt, to taste

In a small Dutch oven or a medium, straight-sided pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add a salted-and-peppered pork tenderloin (about 1 1/4 pounds; the standard size) and brown on all sides. (It does not have to cook through.) Once it’s browned, remove from heat and to the same pot, add onion, garlic, a dash of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Cook until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add one can diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, bay leaf, and a few hefty shakes of dried oregano. Stir to combine, then add pork tenderloin back to pot, nestling it in the liquid. Bring to a boil, then cover pot and simmer for about 30 minutes.

While pork simmers away, make a corn salad with kernels, chopped tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, olive oil, a squeeze of lime, and salt. Adjust the lime and salt to taste. Warm 4-6 whole wheat tortillas (wrapped in foil) in a 350°F oven.

When pork has cooked, remove from pot and, using two forks, shred it into pieces as shown above. Add shreds back to the sauce, stir everything together, then assemble tacos - top a tortilla with pork, corn salsa, shredded Monterey Jack cheese and sour cream.