This post is brought to you by Driscoll’s and TheFeedFeed, though all opinions and recipes are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support A Simple Pantry!
You guys know me and my love for easy Mexican recipes. All the flavor, but on the timeline of busy families. Huzzah!
When you think of pulled pork, it’s hard not to associate it with slow cookers, and hours of waiting for dinner. You don’t hear of many easy Mexican recipes for pork, so I’m here to tell you it is totally possible to get delectable pulled pork with minimal effort that is also fast.
What!
I’ma tell you all about it, I promise. But first, can I gush over this spicy raspberry salsa?
OH.
MY.
YUM.
I’m sure by now you’ve tried my famous chile, or my strawberry mango salsa, or maybe even my pineapple salsa, but I think the world has been seriously missing out because raspberry salsa is totally where the party’s at.
Not all berries are created equal, and in all honesty, I am a massive fan of Driscoll’s. They’ve taken the time to research and use natural breeding methods to produce sweet and juicy berries that you can get year round.
As a Minnesotan, you know I appreciate fresh produce in winter. Raise your hand if you agree, amiright?
I mean, of course I’m right, because Driscoll’s named the Twin Cities metro area as the NUMBER ONE consumer of raspberries. We eat 132% more raspberries than the national average.
I love the love.
So, for this recipe, I really wanted to create a dish that would complement the spicy sweetness of my raspberry salsa. Keeping in mind that weeknight-family-friendliness, I decided on creating a carnitas-style pulled pork using pork tenderloin instead of a large pork shoulder.
It saves by time by cooking on the stove in under 30 minutes, and since it’s a much leaner cut, you’re lowering the fat content of the dish as well.
Just a little health benefit there, yeah. Feeling good.
You might be wondering why I call these quesadilla tacos. It’s simple, really: I made quesadillas, and the kids refused to let me cut them, because they liked the taco shape. So, quesadilla tacos. Load a bunch of them on a plate, throw some avocado all up in there and slather with spicy raspberry salsa.
Dig in like a boss. Cause you da boss of these easy Mexican recipes.
And because Driscoll’s loves us raspberry lovers, they are hosting a Minnesota-exclusive #BerryTogether sweepstakes! With a top prize of an amazing 4-night getaway to Madden’s on Gull Lake (so jealous!), and four first-prize winners receiving Driscoll’s berries for a year, what’s not to get excited about? Click HERE to enter for a chance to win today!
Now, how about we get cooking?
Ingredients
for the Quesadilla Tacos
- 1 lb pork tenderloin
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- ½ large orange
- ½ small red onion roughly chopped
- 2 Serrano peppers roughly chopped
- 10 flour tortillas
- 8 oz Monterey Jack cheese shredded
for the Raspberry Salsa
- 6 oz Driscoll's Raspberries chopped
- ¼ cup red onion finely diced
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1 Serrano pepper finely diced
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- kosher salt to taste
- cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry the pork tenderloin. Combine the salt, pepper, and cumin, then rub over the pork tenderloin. Heat the canola oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork tenderloin and sear each side, around 1-2 minutes per side.
- Reduce heat to medium, then squeeze the orange juice over the pork tenderloin, cover with the chopped onion, serranos, and orange peel, then cover and let cook for 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion reads 145 degrees. Remove from the pan and let sit for five minute, then shred with two forks.
- Heat a comal over medium-high heat. Divide the pulled pork between the 10 tortillas, sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese, fold into a taco shape and cook for around 2 minutes per quesadilla, flipping halfway through, until cheese is bubbly and tortillas are golden brown.
- In a small bowl, combine the chopped raspberries, red onion, cilantro, and serrano pepper. Add the lime juice, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine, adjust seasoning if needed, and serve with the hot quesadilla tacos.
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Bogdan says
Wow, a great way to jazz up a Mexican favorite. I am almost drooling just from reading the article and must try this myself! Quick question: does it freeze well in case I want to make a week’s dinners in advance for my wife, who is busy with our new baby?
Trang says
I saw raspberry salsa and was like wait what I gotta read through this recipe! You always have amazing flavor combo, I love it!
Britni says
That raspberry salsa seriously looks amazing!