Pork With a Bite

Growing up in a Calabrese home there were wars about hot peppers.  Nonno Salvatore grew the little red peppers in the garden and in the house during the winter.  It was a tradition to bring some to a wedding and pass them around.  Everyone sliced them over everything.  Pork With a Bite gets a kick from salsa and red hot chilli peppers from Calabria.  If you don’t want it that spicy, leave out the hot chilli peppers.

My husband John is Polish, but loves Calabrese style cooking.  The heat in this dish is for his Calabrese taste-buds.  It has a nice bite to it, but you can control the heat.  I dress it with yogurt at the end, which cools down the heat in the dish.  If you grow the little red hot peppers, slice some overtop.

In the recipe you will see the choice over parsley and cilantro.  Do you love or hate cilantro?  To me it tastes soapy, but there is an explanation for this.  https://health.clevelandclinic.org/do-you-love-or-hate-cilantro-the-reason-may-surprise-you/

I buy chunks of pork sirloin and slice it myself.  I like to leave a little bit of fat on them.  

You can see the hot red pepper chilli flakes.  These are intense.  

Mixing the salsa with the preserves and the cornstarch.  The swirls are luscious. 

Everything is in the pot now and time to simmer and cook this down.  

I cook some Basmati rice today in some chicken stock and add frozen vegetables. 

I chop up the parsley.  You can also use cilantro; I don’t have the right taste buds for cilantro. 

Plated and ready for the table.

Print

Pork With a Bite

Pork cooked in salsa and red pepper chilli flakes.  

Course Main Course

Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian

Keyword Pork With a Bite

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 4

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless pork sirloin
• 2 tbs olive oil divided
• 1 tsp red pepper chilli flakes optional
• 1 Italian chilli pepper (optional)
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup white wine omit and use all broth
• 1/2 cup chicken broth vegetable may be used
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/3 cup preserves peach or apricot
• 2 tbsp cornstarch thickener
• 1 avocado plating
• 2 tbsp diced cilantro or parsley plating
• sour cream or yogurt plating
• cooked rice with vegetables

Instructions

1. Cut the pork into cubes.

   Brown the pork in the olive oil.

   Do not overcrowd the pan.  I do it in batches.

   Add another tbsp of olive oil to the pan.

   Return the pork to the pan and add the garlic and red pepper chilli flakes. 

   If you choose to use the Italian chilli pepper, dice now and add.  

   Cook for one minute.  Heating up the pepper flakes.

   Add the wine and broth and stir.

   Cover and let simmer on medium/low heat for 25 minutes.

   Place the salsa, preserves and cornstarch in a bowl to combine.

   Stir into the cooked pork and stir over medium heat.

   When the mixture thickens and bubbles it is ready.

   You can serve it over plain rice, but I like rice with vegetables.

   Score and dice the avocado.

   Place the avocado over the platter. 

   Serve sour cream on the side or over the avocado.  

   Sprinkle the finished dish with parsley or cilantro.  

Recipe Notes

One of the best hot chilli products:  https://www.amazon.ca/Product-Name-Calabria-Calabrian-Peppers/dp/B0040EAYZS/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=calabrian+hot+peppers&qid=1558009326&s=gateway&sr=8-2