Pork Tenderloin Taco with Chimichurri

Finally Super Bowl is here. Everybody has been eating Game Meals, meaning a lot of junk food, snack, sweets and booze. And it looks like taco is one of the must-haves. Its versatility, flavour, presentation just make taco so irresistible.

And you can never seem to think twice when it comes to the right brand of taco shells, because you will only think about Old El Paso. Honestly I don’t know what other brands I should go for.

My version of this snack-meets-entrĂ©e is on the healthy side, inspired from Old El Paso recipes. I skipped the deep fried batter coating, instead I baked the panko-coated pork stripes in the oven. It goes along with crunchy lettuce, sweet mango and tangy red onion. The highlight of this taco is the chimichurri. If you haven’t already heard about this sauce, you should really try it and ask yourself why you didn’t try it sooner. Look up to the ingredients of this sauce, it is spicy, limey, tangy, creamy, perfect as a marinade or sauce for grilled meat. I always make a big batch as one of my kitchen staples.

Ingredients (serves 4):
Chimichurri
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 jalapenos, seeded
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup lime juice
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Taco
10 to 15 taco shells
2 pork tenderloins, trimmed of excess fat, patted dry
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup cubed mango
1/2 cup diced red onion

Directions:
Combine garlic, jalapeno, vinegar, parsley, oregano, and lime juice in a blender. Add olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Blend well and set aside at room temperature to allow the flavours to marry.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Slice pork into stripes, and marinade with Dijon mustard in a bowl.
Combine salt, pepper and breadcrumbs.
Coat each pork stripes with breadcrumbs, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Lower oven temperature to 350F. Heat taco shells according to package directions.
Fill each taco shell with a bed of lettuce, 3 or 4 pork tenderloin stripes, 2 tablespoons of chimichurri, and sprinkle mangos and red onion on top. Serve with lime wedges.

4 comments

  1. I love chimichurri sauce! I used to make a big jar like you, and use it for EVERYTHING!. Gotta try your version soon! :)

  2. Not only because the horrible weather here at the east coast, but your taco also makes me want summer to come more! Such a refreshing and tasty dish!

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