Pork Tacos, or, what to do when you have no kitchen

     Well, it's been pretty busy around here.   I hardly know where to start!  The kitchen remodel goes on, somewhat sluggishly at the moment, but it goes.  We are down to studs, shiplap flooring and a whole lotta dust.  The French doors have handles, the windows are in, and the roof is no longer in danger of collapsing, as the Versalam beam is in, supporting the joists, and correcting a whole bunch of pre-existing construction errors.  Between the wiring, the joists and some rather odd framing done by previous homeowners, it's been a real adventure trying to get some things right.

      So, currently, my kitchen is in my living room, we wash dishes in the bathroom sink.  It basically feels like camping in a house.  Everything is on bare bones supplies, and takes twice a long as it normally would.  The framing is in place now, though, and I can see the potential for what this space will be.
     Being food obsessed with no kitchen is a challenge.  I have eaten a few meals that are merely fuel.  But I try to keep up standards, such as they are.  Dinner tonight definitely upheld standards.  It helps that the garden is in full swing, and I have a barbecue to back me up.
     I developed the pork recipe a few years back, and originally made it in the oven.  But it works more easily on the grill, and there are fewer dishes that way, a great benefit when you only have the bathroom anyway!
     The concept is this:  brine the pork, pat it dry, salt and pepper it, then grill it, adding a glaze half way through.  Add to that a delicious and very simple mango salsa, and dinner is on!

Chipotle Pork Tenderloin
serves 2 with left overs, or 4

2-3 lbs pork tenderloin

5tsp salt

3/4c sugar

4 c water

2-3tsp chipotle in adobo sauce

2T brown sugar

1 T plus 2 tsp olive oil

Additional accompaniments:  cilantro, shredded cabbage, radishes, corn tortillas, cotija cheese

Dissolve salt and sugar in water, and brine the pork for 1 hour.  

Prepare your grill:  preheat or get the coals ready for a medium fire.  

Pat dry, oil with 2 tsp oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grill over medium to high heat, turning every 3 minutes until browned, total of 9 minutes.  

Meanwhile, mash the chipotle, add the remaining oil and the brown sugar and stir.  

When the pork has browned, brush with the chipotle mixture, and return to the grill.

Grill over medium heat, turning every 2-3 minutes, until browned and lightly charred on all sides, approximately 10 more minutes.  

Remove, and let rest 5-10 minutes.  

Meanwhile, heat the tortillas in olive oil on a stove, and make sure the salsa is ready to go.   Then slice and cut the pork into batons for tacos. 

Serve with sliced cabbage, cilantro, radishes and any other accompaniments that light your fire.  

Quick Mango Salsa

serves 2

1 mango, diced

1/2 cucumber, peeled so that there are stripes of peel left, and then diced

3T diced red pepper

1 scallion, sliced thinly

1 T jalapeno, minced

Cilantro, if you remember, which I didn't

1-2T rice vinegar

2 tsp sugar

salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, taste to correct seasonings.  

Enjoy, and feel smug that you can do this WITHOUT a kitchen, unless yours is still intact.