Tangy Yucatecan Grilled Pork with Roasted Onions and Fresh Garnishes
Serves 4 generously
2 medium white onions, unpeeled
1 1/2 pounds well-trimmed, thin-cut, boneless pork steaks, cut from the shoulder or leg OR 1 1/2 pounds thin-cut, boneless pork chops
3/4 cup fresh sour orange juice, plus a little more if needed
OR a generous 1/2 cup fresh lime juice, plus a little more if needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning the meat and vegetables
3 cups thinly sliced cabbage
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro, plus a few sprigs for garnish
1 pound (2 medium-large round) ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced 1/4-inch thick
-
Roasting the onions. Light a charcoal fire and let it burn until all the
coals are medium- hot and covered with gray ash. Nestle the onions directly
in the coals and let them roast until charred on the outside and soft
within, about 20 minutes. -
Preparing the meat and vegetables. While the onions are roasting, pound
the meat with a flat mallet to about 1/8 inch thick. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of
the sour orange (or 3 tablespoons lime) juice, cover and set aside. Cool
the onions until handleable, peel the charred outer layers off, then cut
what remains into 1/2-inch squares. Toss with 1/4 cup of the sour orange (or
about 3 tablespoons lime) juice and season with salt and pepper. Toss the
cabbage with the cilantro and the remaining 1/4 cup of the sour orange (or 3
tablespoons lime) juice; season with salt and pepper. Spread onto a large
serving platter about 14-inches or so in diameter. Decorate the perimeter
with alternating slices of tomato and avocado, and sprinkle them with salt
and pepper. -
Grilling and serving. Stoke your fire with new charcoal and let it get
really hot. Sprinkle both sides of the meat generously with salt and
pepper. Working with a couple of pieces at a time, grill the pork: let it
sear about 2 minutes on one side, then flip it over and sear on the other.
(The total cooking time for 1/8-inch pork steaks over a very hot fire will
be no more than 3 or 4 minutes.) Lay the meat slightly overlapping down the
center of the platter and strew the onions over the meat. Decorate with a
few cilantro sprigs and serve without delay, accompanied by salsa and
baskets of hot tortillas.
VARIATIONS AND IMPROVISATIONS–This simple dish could easily be made with butterflied, pounded, boneless, skinless chicken breasts or with skirt
steak. If you like spicy food and want more flavor in the marinade, smear a
little habanero salsa over the meat in place of the sour orange.