Tacos De Cecina (Pounded Pork Tacos)

1. 1

   Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, in a dry cast-iron skillet, toast the chilies over medium-low heat for 2 minutes, until fragrant; turn them and shake the pan so they don't scorch.

2. 2

   Put the toasted chilies in a bowl, cover with the boiling water, and let them soak until softened and reconstituted, about 15 minutes.

3. 3

   Using a sharp knife, make a deep slit down the length of the tenderloins and open them up so they lay flat.

4. 4

   With the smooth side of a mallet, pound the pork between two pieces of plastic to a 1/4-inch thickness.

5. 5

   Transfer to a platter.

6. 6

   In a blender, combine the toasted chilies, vinegar, oregano, 2 tablespoons of oil, salt, and pepper, and puree to form a paste.

7. 7

   Rub the paste on both sides of the pork.

8. 8

   Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

9. 9

   Preheat grill or ridged grill pan.

10. 10

    Brush grill grates with a little oil to prevent meat from sticking.

11. 11

    Scrape off excess chili paste from pork and grill for 2 minutes per side.

12. 12

    Remove to cutting board and let rest for 2 minutes.

13. 13

    Slice into 1/4-inch pieces.

14. 14

    Heat a large dry skillet over a medium flame.

15. 15

    Warm the tortillas for 30 seconds on each side, until toasty and pliable.

16. 16

    To make the tacos, stack 2 warm tortillas, lay about 4 ounces of pork down the center, and sprinkle with some onion and cilantro.

17. 17

    Drizzle 1 1/2 teaspoons of salsa on top of each taco and garnish with lime wedges.

18. 18

    Note: Guajillo chili is the dried form of the fresh mirasol chili.

19. 19

    Can be found at Latin markets.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.