Pork & Poblano Skillet with Creamy Slow Cooker Beans

Chile warmth for chilly nights – but with poblanos, not too spicy hot! This recipe combines quick-cooked pork with a succulent sauce that's warmed (just warmed, not heated) with a little roasted poblano. I like to serve it with beans cooked from scratch in the slow cooker.

Real Food, Hearty & Filling. Year-Round Kitchen Staple. Budget Friendly. Easy Weeknight Supper. One-Pot Meal. Low Carb. Low Fat. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly. Naturally Gluten Free.

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BEST RECIPES!

• Pork & Poblano Skillet Made the List!
• Best Recipes of 2008

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Pick a Peck of Poblano Peppers

For years, I peeked at the pepper piles in the produce section, sure that even proximity was "too hot" for comfort. Slowly if unsurely, I experimented with one chile pepper then another.

So far, my favorite chile pepper is the dusky-dark poblano, whose green skin is almost black, whose roasted flesh warms not burns. In Pork & Poblano Skillet, just one adds a seductive smoky sweetness.

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QUICK SUPPER: PORK & POBLANO SKILLET

Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Time to table: 45 minutes
Serves 4

• 1 poblano pepper

STOVETOP
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound pork tenderloin or boneless pork loin, cubed small
• Salt to taste
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire (don’t skip)
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• Roasted Poblano
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

TO SERVE
• Creamy Slow Cooker Beans or White Rice
• Lime Crema or sour cream, optional
• My Guacamole or another guacamole, optional
• Warm tortillas, optional

ROAST THE POBLANO Slice the poblano in half vertically; remove the core, membrane and seeds. Flatten the halves skin-side up on foil (see TIPS) on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler until the skins blister and blacken. Remove the baking sheet from the broiler, fold the foil over the pepper to form a tight packet; let rest for 5 minutes. Rub the skins, they should easily pull away from the poblano flesh; it's okay to leave some small bits on the skins but discard the rest of the skins. Slice the remaining flesh into strips.

MOVE TO THE STOVETOP Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil on medium high until shimmery. Add the pork and a bit of salt, and cook until the meat is browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Lift the browned (but not fully cooked) meat out of the skillet onto a plate, leaving the liquid in the skillet behind. Keep the meat warm (see TIPS).

Add the onions and garlic, cook just until beginning to brown, adding water and Worcestershire when the skillet begins to dry. Stir in the tomato and roasted poblano. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and let the mixture cook down a bit, about 5 minutes. Return the meat to the skillet and cook for about 15-20 minutes until the sauce darkens and thickens. Add the cilantro in the last 5 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt.

SERVE Serve with Creamy Slow-Cooker Beans or cooked rice with a dollop of sour cream or guacamole on the side.

ALANNA's TIPS Poblano peppers are relatively mild chiles. Still, if chiles are new to your family, start gingerly, as if working with, well, hot peppers. Chile heat resides first in the membranes, next in the seeds, then in the flesh. That's why recipes usually specify to remove the membranes and seeds, leaving behind just the less-hot chile flesh. But if you like a little heat? Go ahead, keep the membranes and seeds! After handling chillis, be sure wash your hands well before touching anything else, especially your skin or eyes, even a pet. If you don't, the oils will transfer from your hands to anything you touch, it can be pretty uncomfortable for a few minutes. Use enough foil so that after roasting, the peppers can be fully encased. If the oven’s still warm from broiling, keep the meat warm there.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Serving: 198 Calories; 5g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 11g Carb; 2g Fiber; 298mg Sodium; 73mg Cholesterol; 25g Protein WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 4 & PointsPlus 5 & SmartPoints 4 & Freestyle 3 & myWW green 3 & blue 3 & purple 3

Adapted from a favorite new cookbook, Mexican Everyday (affiliate link) by Rick Bayless. Authentic Mexican ingredients are increasingly easy to find and worth seeking out!

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Pining for Poblanos?! More Recipe Ideas

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~ more poblano pepper recipes ~

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Creamy Slow Cooker Beans
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~ Creamy Slow Cooker Beans ~

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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