Pork Tenderloin Tacos In Chile Guajillo Sauce

Pork tenderloin tacos with guajillo chile sauce.

Pork Tenderloin Tacos In Chile Guajillo Sauce

If you're craving bold, authentic flavor without the long cook time, these Pork Tenderloin Tacos served in a rich, red earthy chile Guajillo sauce delivers in every bite.

Course Main Course Pork

Cuisine Mexican

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings tacos

Calories 141kcal

Author Lea Ann Brown

Equipment

1 12" Heavy Skillet

Ingredients

1 Pound Pork Tenderloin Cut into bite sized pieces
2 Tablespoons Neutral oil Avocado oil, canola and vegetable oils are good choices here
4-5 Dried Guajillo Chile Peppers
1 Cup Orange Juice Fresh squeezed or good quality purchased
5 small Garlic cloves peeled
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Coriander seed or ground coriander
1 Tablespoon Honey
½ teaspoon Dried Mexican Oregano
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt divided
10 Corn Tortillas warmed

Instructions

Cut the tenderloin into 1-inch bite-sized pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add half the pork pieces in a single layer, season with half the kosher salt, and sear for 4 minutes without turning. Stir, then transfer to a plate—you're just searing, not fully cooking. Repeat with the remaining pork.
Wipe the skillet out with a paper towel and add the Guajillo peppers. Press them with a spatula and cook until fragrant, about 40 seconds. Turn and toast them on the other side.
Remove the chiles, cut the tops off and bang them against the sink to remove the seeds. Add them back to the skillet and pour the orange juice over them. Top with a salad plate to keep them submerged. Soak them this way for 10 minutes.
Place the dried chiles, along with the orange juice in a food processor. Add the garlic, vinegar, coriander, honey, Mexican oregano and remaining salt. Puree until smooth.
Use a spatula to transfer the sauce to the skillet. Add the the pieces of seared pork tenderloin and stir to coat well.
Cook on low heat, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook another 10 minutes.
In the meantime, warm the corn tortillas and prepare your toppings. Chopped onion, chopped cilantro, and crumbled Cotija cheese work well here. Serve with lime wedges. A squeeze of lime juice brightens any Mexican taco recipe.

Notes

Tips For Success:

You'll more than likely need to cook the tenderloin in two batches because you don't want the pieces of meat touching as they cook. Keeping a distance between the pieces of meat will allow air to circulate which will result in a better sear. Touching meat can cause a steaming effect which will compromise texture and sear.

For a sturdier taco, use two corn tortillas per taco.

Nutrition