Mr. Hawthorne Makes Salsa Verde And Rosie Makes A Traditional Salsa.

Mr. Hawthorne and I both love Mexican cuisine and we do our best to recreate it at home. Today, Mr. Hawthorne is making a salsa verde with his home-grown tomatillos. We just started experimenting with tomatillos since our trip out west last fall. And we like tomatillos. Although they look like green tomatoes, they're not. Tomatillos are a member of the gooseberry family. I can't say that I've ever tried a gooseberry and that would be because I've never seen one. If you ever want a fresh green tart element to add to a dish, try the tomatillo. We bought tomatillos last January and saved the seeds. After drying the seeds, Mr. Hawthorne planted them in those clear plastic egg cartons we get at the Teeter which hold 2 1/2 dozen eggs. Best egg deal on the beach, usually. The cartons serve as mini-greenhouses.

Mr. Hawthorne peeled the tomatilloes ...

... and added 3 garlic cloves to the pan.

Pour water halfway up the tomatillas, and bring to boil. Boil until soft, about 10 minutes.

Half an onion.

Chop the onion.

Add tomatillos and the garlic to a processor ...

... and process.

Heat a little oil in a skillet and ...

... saute the onion.

Add the tomatillo puree to the skillet.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 5 minutes. And there you have a Salsa Verde.

Next, Rosie is making a Salsa Roja.

4 tomatoes 1 scallion 1/2 onion 1 jalapeno

Peel and slice the tomatoes in half. Stick your fingers in the pockets and squeeze with the other hand to release the jell-sacs and seeds.

Nice and clean tomatoes.

Chop the tomatoes.

Mince the jalapeno.

Finely chop the onion.

Add freshly ground salt and pepper to taste.

A tablespoon of sugar.

A tablespoon of cider vinegar.

Minced scallion. Mix all together. Piquant Salsa Verde. Colorful Salsa Roja.

Step 5 Of 5. Rosie Makes Her Pork Tenderloin With Accoutrements.

I'm on Step 5. I'm bringin' it home now and here's the money shot: Step 1: I made a regular red tomato salsa. Step 2: I made a green tomatilla salsa. Step 3: I made a creamy, rich avocado dressing. Step 4: I made a happy goody bag of black beans. On to Step 5, my viande: pork tenderloin, which I found in the freezer hiding behind the mounds of bacon packages and the aging hens and the individually-packed strawberry packages for Smoothies, and the deer tenderloin, and the ribs, and the shrimp, and the vacuum packed fillet mignons, and the flat iron steaks, and the chuck roasts, and the rabbits, and the chicken quarters, and the chicken bosoms, ($1.99/pound skinned boneless fillets), and the ... All bought on sale, except for the strawberries which we picked.

I found a new (to me) spice the other day - achiote molido (or ground annato). Thought I'd try it in this recipe.

I lightly sprinkled the achiote over my pork tenderloin,

added freshly ground salt and pepper,

and zested some lime.

Then I decided a bit of lime juice wouldn't hurt matters. Just massage it all in.

I forget what this dried pepper is called but it's very smoky. I poured boiling water over top and let it sit for a while to soften.

My ingredients:

seasoned pork tenderloin onions garlic minced smoky pepper

I heated my pan, added in butter and olive oil and heated to medium high then added the pork tenderloin.

I browned the tenderloin all over ...

... then took it out of the pan

and let it set for a few minutes. I knew it wasn't done yet, but the restless were getting natives and I had to shortcut dinner.

So I sliced the pork in 1/2 inch pieces. Now, if this were tuna, I'd be very happy, but it's pork.

I added the onion, garlic, and smoked pepper to the pan.

Then I added my raw pork just to barely cook through. I like my pork slightly pink. Any more, and it's tough and dry.

By slicing the pork, it will cook evenly throughout and I have control over the cooking. Each slice is still a pale pink on the inside. Now I'm ready to plate.

From 12 o' clock going clockwise: pork with avocado cream sauce Salsa Roja Salsa Verde Black bean melange

I loved all these flavors. I must say, I don't know what the achiote added, if anything. Right out of the jar, it has a slightly peppery, earthy flavor and I can see using it in a rice dish for a slight hint of flavor, but mainly for the color. I wouldn't recommend going out and buying a package of this stuff until you know more about how to use it. I could have just sprinkled a bit of cumin and oregano on the pork loin and that would have been fine too.

The cool creaminess of the avocado against the smokiness (from the dried pepper) of the pork was a pleasant contrast.

This black bean mixture is one of my favorite flavor combinations and it pairs very nicely with the pork.

The two salsas complemented the pork and the black beans.

Quite an enjoyable meal and, again, no leftovers. I would love to hear your comments on this meal if you actually try making it yourself. By the way, does anybody out there ever do any recipes I present here? I'd love to know if I've ever inspired someone to do, well ... anything.

Step 2 Of 5. Rosie Makes A Salsa Verde.

Rosie is off to Step 2. Salsa verde.

Rosie bought tomatilloes.

I shucked off the husks and rinsed to get rid of that sticky stuff ...

... and sliced.

I heated my pan and added butter and Bertolli Extra Light Olive oil, the sliced tomatilloes, and 3 sliced garlic cloves.

Brown on one side, then turn over and brown the other side.

I cooled the tomatillo/garlic mixture, put it in my mini-processor, and added a small can of green chilies.

Pulse a few times.

Taste test and add freshly ground salt and pepper.

Hmmm. Better. But not there.

I believe it needs a red jalapeno.

Mince and add to salsa verde.

Needed some onion.

Chopped onion went in.

Muy excellentay.

Step 2 of my meal is done. And just like Step 1, Step 2 stands by itself. Tall and strong and proud. Now on to Step 3 in my little dinner project.