Southwest Grilled Pork Ribeye with Fried Nixtamal

Tender, pastured pork rib-eyes marinated in annatto oil, garlic and mild Adobo seasoning served with nixtamal fried in butter with green onions, yellow tomatoes, pumpkin seeds and fresh jalapeños..

103_2212

Soak nixtamal (traditional, lime-slaked dried maize) overnight in cool, filtered water.  Boil slowly in a heavy pot of fresh water until just tender, about 2 hours. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, marinate pork in annatto oil, fresh garlic, Mexican oregano and adobo-style seasoning for at least 2 hours.

Fry nixtamal, whole cumin and pumpkin seeds in pastured butter until browned.  Add green onions, peppers, tomatoes, sea salt, cracked pepper and just a pinch of coarse, non-refined sugar and sauté quickly until the tomatoes give up most of their liquid, perhaps 5 minutes.  Toss with chopped cilantro just before serving.

Meanwhile, grill the pork rib-eyes until medium-done and nicely marked, but still plump and juicy.  Hit everything with a modest squeeze of fresh lime and serve hot from the pan.

To make annatto oil, toast achiote seeds in a hot, dry skillet until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add good olive oil and infuse over low heat for about 20 minutes. Strain the resulting annatto oil and store indefinitely in a cool, dark place.

Bookmark and Share