Pork & Poblano Skillet with Creamy Slow-Cooker Beans
Chilli warmth for chilly nights

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 then another.

So far, my favorite 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.

Both of today’s recipes are my adaptations from a favorite new cookbook, Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless. Authentic Mexican ingredients are increasingly easy to find and worth seeking out!

CREAMY SLOW-COOKER BEANS Introduce your family to the nothing-like-canned taste of home-cooked dried beans. Just stir eight ounces of rinsed dried black (or navy or red kidney) beans, a chopped white onion, a tablespoon of bacon fat or butter with five cups hot water in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours until the beans are cooked, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste, reduce heat to keep warm til ready to serve, adding water if needed.
ALANNA's TIPS Poblano peppers are relatively mild chillis. Still, if chillis are new to your family, start gingerly, as if working with, well, hot peppers. Chilli heat resides first in the membranes, next in the seeds, then in the flesh. After handling chillis, wash your hands well before touching anything else, especially your skin or eyes, even a pet. 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.
Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Share a favorite supper recipe via e-mail.

QUICK SUPPER: PORK & POBLANO SKILLET

Smoky pepper sweetens supper
Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Time to table: 45 minutes
Serves 4
  • 1 poblano pepper
  • 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)
  • 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
  • Sour cream

Slice pepper in half vertically; remove core, membrane and seeds. Flatten halves skin-side up on foil (see TIPS) on a baking sheet. Place under broiler til skins blister and blacken. Remove from broiler, fold foil over the pepper to form a tight packet; let rest 5 minutes. Lift off and discard skins; slice flesh into strips. Meanwhile, heat oil on medium high til shimmery in large skillet. Add pork, salt to taste, stir often til meat is browned, about 5 minutes. Leaving liquid behind, remove meat, keep warm (see TIPS).

Add onions and garlic, cook til beginning to brown, adding water and Worcestershire when skillet begins to dry. Stir in tomato and poblano. Cook down a bit, about 5 minutes. Return meat to skillet; cook 15-20 minutes until sauce darkens and thickens, adding cilantro in last 5 minutes. Serve with Creamy Slow-Cooker Beans or cooked rice and a dollop of sour cream.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Serving: 274Cal; 10g Tot Fat; 3g Sat Fat; 33g Protein; 11g Carb; 2g Fiber; 349mg Sodium; 90mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 5 points

More Quick Supper Recipes

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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.

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February 22, 2008 printme Page Permalink |email E-Mail this Recipe

Comments:

mmmmm...this sounds great! I love black beans!
Blogger Dani Spies on 2/21/2008
 
Thanks for this recipe, which looks great, but also for the fact that you've included the slow cooker bean recipe. I have a bunch of lovely dried beans from Seed Savers that I really need to use, and I get so lazy about actually cooking them up -- this method sounds ideal.
OpenID inadvertentgardener on 2/22/2008
 
Alanna, This sounds like a great recipe for these cold winter days!
Anonymous Bruno on 2/27/2008
 
Yikes this sounds good! I love cooking with Pork tenderloin. I might try a chipotle pepper instead. Those beans look incredible as well, I'll have to give them a try. Thanks!

- The Peanut Butter Boy
Blogger Nick on 2/28/2008