Pork & Bell Pepper Burrito Recipe

Sauteed pork loin, bell peppers, spices, onion and garlic inside a flour tortilla with cheese and then baked with more cheese on the top. Drizzled with salsa and sour cream.

They are as delicious as they look. Sauteed pork loin, bell peppers, spices, onion and garlic inside a flour tortilla with cheese and then baked with more cheese on the top. Drizzled with salsa and sour cream. I was out of avocados, otherwise there would have been guacamole. Don’t forget to sprinkle with cilantro and top with a jalapeño or two.

It's Saturday night and the Red Sox kick off game one of the ALCS. We are pumped! So dinner needs to be quick-ish and sports friendly. I have some pork loin cutlets which were gonna be schnitzel but now they are gonna be burritos. I can prep them in advance and then just bake/broil until they are cheesy, brown and delicious. Game plan on!

Serves 2, maybe 3 with side dishes

INGREDIENTS:

For the pork (you can use any kind of meat here):

  • (4) pork cutlets or one pork tenderloin, about 1.5 lbs.
  • 1 TBSP. chili powder
  • 1 TBSP. cumin
  • 1 TBSP. Old Bay Seasoning
  • 1 TBSP. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper

Mix the spices together in a bowl. Cut the pork cutlets or tenderloin into strips and add to the rub. Mix it around and let it sit for an hour or two in the refrigerator.

For the veggies:

  • (1) each - red, yellow and orange bell pepper, cut into strips
  • (1) red onion, cut into strips
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 - 4 TBSP. or more chopped cilantro
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the filling and toppings:

  • (4) large flour tortillas
  • 2 cups grated cheddar and/or jack cheese
  • jarred salsa
  • sour cream
  • jarred jalapenos
My ingredients are all ready before I start. I ended up not using the goat cheese, but I thought about it.

My ingredients are all ready before I start. I ended up not using the goat cheese, but I thought about it.

I do this in a cast iron skillet. First, start with the pork, which has been removed from the refrigerator and is at room temp. Add a good swirl of olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet and apply medium heat. When the pan gets hot, add the pork and a handful of the cilantro and toss around until the outside is crispy and brown but not cooked all the way through. Remove from the pan and put it aside in a bowl.

Spice-rubbed pork and cilantro, browning in a hot skillet. You can use chicken, beef and even tofu, add beans, etc. Be creative!

Spice-rubbed pork and cilantro, browning in a hot skillet. You can use chicken, beef and even tofu, add beans, etc. Be creative!

Now add the veggies to the same pan, maybe add a little more olive oil and sautee until cooked to a lovely caramel color. Brown them up well to get some color and flavor! Add the garlic halfway through so it does not burn and add a sprinkle of cilantro towards the end. If the bottom of the pan gets too sticky, add a splash of chicken stock to loosen the brown bits on the bottom, that is where the flavor is!! And manage the heat of the pan so things don't burn.

Brown your veggies in the same pan you coo

Brown your veggies in the same pan you cook your protein in to infuse that flavor! Cook them until they caramelize and get a lovely color and taste.

Once the veggies are browned and delicious (please taste them and add salt and pepper as needed), add the pork back in and stir it all around until the pork is close to done. You can tell as the texture of the pork will be firm. Turn the heat off and let it rest for 10 minutes or so. Critical step if you want tender meat. Time to assemble the burritos. This can all be done in advance and the burritos can be baked off in 10 minutes or so. Yay!

Marry the pork and veggies and let rest before you roll the burritos. The meat will be more tender and delicious.

Marry the pork and veggies and let rest before you roll the burritos. The meat will be more tender and delicious.

First, take a large flour tortilla and place on an oiled baking sheet. Place a handful of shredded cheese in the middle of each tortilla, then scoop some of the pork and veggie mixture on top of the cheese and fold it up like an eggroll - fold from the bottom first, over the filling. Turn one edge in, do a quarter-roll again from the bottom, fold the other edge in and then finish it up! Next time I will videotape this process. You can do it. Easy stuff.

I used (2) HUGE flour tortillas, but use any size you want or have. Place the cheese in the middle, filling on top and roll baby roll!!

I used (2) HUGE flour tortillas, but use any size you want or have. Place the cheese in the middle, filling on top and roll baby roll!!

Once the burritos are folded, top with more cheese then bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, and if the cheese is not brown, feel free to broil the burritos for a few minutes until you get the cheese to the proper color. Remove from the oven and plate. Drizzle a little salsa on top plus a bit of sour cream, guacamole (if you have it), another sprinkling of cilantro and enjoy! You can also serve some mexican rice and maybe some refried beans if you wanna get all fancy. We went minimalist. The burritos were more than enough. And they were delicious. I have frozen these uncooked and had them on the ready. If you have kids, do this, they will never want for a snack.

PS, these can be done with beef or chicken, plus you can add black beans or pinto beans to the mixture. Be creative and do what you and your family likes. Enjoy your burritos and Go Sox!

plated pork and bell pepper burritos

Ridiculously delicious and I am not joking about rolling them and freezing them. Freeze on the baking sheet, then transfer to a ziplock bag. They can be re-heated in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or so, then add cheese on the top and broil. Instant dinner.

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