Getting funky

Ever feel like you eat the same old meals day after day after day?

I went through a period in grad school where I ate oatmeal for lunch for 10 months straight.  Quaker, you're welcome.

This recipe jumped out at me because it involves a plantain.

It's sort of like a banana, only less sweet and more starchy.  We ate them a lot in Nicaragua (but in deep-fried form). 

It also calls for tomatillos, which I had never bought before.

You have to unwrap the thin outer shell away, and it's weirdly sticky to do so. 

Is it a fruit?  Is it a vegetable?  It tastes like a limey-flavored apple when eaten raw (fact provided by me).  It's actually a fruit, in the same family as the cape gooseberry, and is a staple in Latin American cooking (fact provided by Wikipedia).

This is another recipe that takes some time, but my husband and I both agreed that this one should go in the rotation.  So here goes:

Pork & Plantain Enchiladas

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 1-lb pork tenderloin, with any visible fat trimmed
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 2/3 cups chopped onion, divided
• 1 chicken bouillion cube dissolved in 1 1/3 cup boiling water (or 1 1/3 cups low sodium chicken broth)
• 3/4 lb tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and coarsely chopped (about 6 large)
• 1/2 teaspoon jarred minced garlic
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped
• 1 fresh lime, halved
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 large plantain, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 10 6-inch corn tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I used Colby Jack)

If you haven't yet run away in fear, here's the prep:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine cumin, oregano, ground red pepper, and a pinch of salt.  Rub over pork.  Heat a large ovenproof skillet (or Dutch oven) over medium-high heat.  Add 2 teaspoons of oil to pan.  Add pork and cook five minutes, flipping it so each side gets browned.  Place pan in the oven and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, or until internal temperature reads at least 165 degrees.  Remove pork from pan; let rest 15 minutes.  Cut pork into 1/2-inch pieces.
3. Combine 1 cup onion, 1 cup broth, tomatillos, garlic, and serrano in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until tomatillos are tender.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Combine tomatillo mixture, pinch of salt, and the juice from half of one squeezed lime in a food processor.  Process until fairly smooth.  Set aside for later.

4. Place skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan.  Add the remaining 2/3 cup onion and cook until tender.  Add 1/3 cup broth, the juice from the other half of the lime, and the black beans.  Cook for 1-2 minutes.  Pour in a large bowl and save for later.
5. Combine brown sugar, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and plantain in a medium bowl, until plantain is well coated.  Heat up the same skillet again with a Tablespoon of oil this time.  Add plantain mixture to pan; saute for three minutes or until golden brown.  Combine plantain mixture with pork and bean mixture.

6. Coat a 13x9 glass baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread 1/3 cup tomatillo mixture in the bottom of the pan.  To assemble the enchiladas: heat tortillas in the microwave for a few seconds until they're warm, soft, and flexible.  Put about 2 Tablespoons pork mixture in the center, along with a sprinkle of cheese, wrap, and place seam-side down in the pan.  Continue until you've done all twelve.  It's a tight fit.  I ended up making a few more in a meatloaf-shaped pan.  Cover with remaining tomatillo sauce and the rest of the cheese. 
7. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese melts and filling is thoroughly heated.

Ok so the last image might get the prize for worst-quality photo yet.  I'll just say that uh, my hands were shaking from excitement over my enchilada.