Pork and Tostones with Beans and Cilantro Sauce

Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield® Marinated Fresh Pork. The opinions and text are all mine.

Last year, a wonderful friend of mine introduced me to some seriously delicious food. I was always a fan of sweet plantains, but I had never tried tostones. They quickly became one of my favorite side dishes! So much so, that when I had to travel to Miami once every-other-week to work earlier this year, I would stop at this little Cuban place and order tostones topped with pork. It was simply delicious! If you’re looking for a little Cuban flavor wherever you live, check out this recipe for Pork and Tostones with Beans and Cilantro Sauce. The wonderful thing about this recipe? It can be prepared in about 30 minutes, start-to-finish, that’s real flavor, real fast!

Ingredients

For the pork:

• Smithfield Roasted Garlic and Cracked Black Pepper Pork Tenderloin
• vegetable oil

For the tostones:

• 3 unripened plantains
• vegetable oil
• salt

For the black beans:

• 1 can black beans
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 T water
• 1 T olive oil
• salt & pepper

For the cilantro sauce:

• juice of 2 limes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt & pepper

Directions:

Available in a variety of fresh cuts and flavors, Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork is a perfect fit for all cooking styles and dishes. I chose the roasted garlic and cracked black pepper variety, but you can choose whichever flavor you prefer. You can find more pork recipes here. The first step is to sear the outside of your pork tenderloin. Searing is a technique that involves quickly cooking just the exterior of a piece of meat over a high temperature. This takes about 8 minutes. Once the outside looks seared, move your pork tenderloin into a 400 degree oven for about 22 minutes. The great thing about searing is that it seals in all the meat’s natural juices, so it is moist and flavorful when sliced. As you can see, I cut my pork into two separate pieces so it could easily fit into my pan.

While the pork is cooking in the oven, prepare the tostones. Be certain that your plantains are still firm and un-ripened. That will help to make crunchy, delicious tostones. Slice pieces of unripened plantains about 3/4″ on the bias. Heat a large saucepan with about an inch of oil. When the oil is hot {make sure it isn’t smoking}, add your sliced plantains. Cook on one side until they begin to turn a golden color, then flip them over to cook on the other side. Remove them from the pan, and place them on a cooling rack with paper towel underneath.

Tostones require you to fry the same plantains two times each. But first, you have to smash them down. This can be done with the back of a pan or with a meat mallet. Once the plantains are smashed, return them to the oil to fry again on both sides. Remove them from the heat when they appear to be golden and crisp, and sprinkle with salt.

To make the cilantro sauce, combine two tablespoons of finely-chopped cilantro, one minced garlic clove, and the juice of three limes. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and your sauce is ready. Wanna kick it up even more? Add your favorite hot sauce or sliced fresh jalapenos.

To make the beans, combine the can of black beans {rinse first}, clove of garlic, water, oil, salt, and pepper in a blender to form a puree. In addition to being a delicious component of this dish, it also makes a great dip on its own! To assemble this dish, spread a tablespoon of the pureed bean mixture on each tostone.

When the pork is removed from the oven, allow it to rest a few minutes. Otherwise, when you slice into it, the juices may pour out and the meat will be dry. At that point, make thin slices to place over your tostones. The pork will sit nicely over the black bean puree.

To finish the dish, top each tostone with a drizzle of the cilantro sauce. This sauce packs a lot of flavor, so for children, I’d suggest putting the sauce on the side and allowing them to add it if they would like. Your super-tasty Pork and Tostones with Beans and Cilantro Sauce are ready.

This makes a super tasty mid-week meal or a wonderful appetizer to serve at your next summer gathering. Since it can be prepared in about 30 minutes, it’s easy to enjoy any night of the week. How fun are these delicious finger foods?

Head to Safeway to purchase your Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork in your favorite flavor. Be sure to pick up all of the other ingredients while you are there so you can make this Pork and Tostones with Beans and Cilantro Sauce recipe at home. My local Safeway carries the following varieties of Smithfield Marinated Pork: Garlic & Herb Pork Sirloin, Roasted Garlic & Cracked Black Peppercorn Pork Sirloin, Roasted Garlic & Cracked Black Peppercorn Pork Tenderloin, Sweet Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin, Slow Smoked Mesquite Flavor Pork Loin Filet, and Roasted Garlic & Herb Pork Loin Filet.

Smithfield is also challenging you to see what you can do with Marinated Fresh Pork to get a flavorful meal ready in about 30 minutes with their “What Can You Do With 30?” meal and tip contest. For more 30-minute meal preparation ideas, and to submit your original recipe for a chance to win great prizes, head to www.SmithfieldRealFlavorRealFast.com.

What’s your favorite mid-week meal?