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Pork in Veracruz Sauce (Puntas a la Veracruzana)

4 Servings

50 minutes

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Adriana Luna, who runs La Cocina de mi Mamá in Mexico City, showed us how to make puntas a la Veracruzana, a dish of sliced pork in garlicky tomato sauce that, to us, tasted both new and familiar. The term “puntas,” which translates from the Spanish as “tips,” refers to small pieces of meat; “a la Veracruzana” means in the style of Veracruz—that is, prepared with tomato, garlic, olives and capers. The sauce reflects the culinary influence of the Spanish, who arrived in 1519 in what is now the coastal state of Veracruz, on Mexican cuisine. Whereas “a la Veracruzana” typically is applied to fish, Luna used thin slices of pork loin to a delicious result—the mild, lean meat finds a perfect partner in the punchy, tangy-sweet sauce. We adapted her recipe, making it a simpler one-pan affair, but in the spirit of her dish, we use chopped fresh tomatoes, a healthy amount of garlic and finish the puntas with a good dose of parsley. Serve with charred tortillas or with rice and beans, and, if you like, offer pickled jalapeños on the side.

4

Servings

Tip

Don’t slice the pork thicker than ¼ inch or the pieces will be quite chewy when cooked. If you like, for easier slicing, freeze the chops until partially frozen so the knife blade glides through the meat. Also, when cooking the tomato sauce, simmer it down to a very thick consistency, as the accumulated juices from the pork will thin it out.

50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1

    pound boneless pork loin chops (about 1 inch thick), sliced no thicker than ¼ inch on the diagonal

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Directions

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Reviews
Candice O.
April 9, 2023
Delicious make-ahead
I made the sauce with fresh tomatoes in September and froze it, had cooked it to to step before reduction. Removed it from the freezer in April, browned the pork, removed it, then reduced the sauce and followed the recipe to end. I would make it for a crowd.
Colleen K.
October 11, 2022
Delicious, easy,,fast
I used pork tenderloin sliced and pounded, added chipotle chilis in adobo. It was very spicy but absolutely DELICIOUS 😋
Kevin S.

Were excited to try this - but were very disappointed with the end result. Nothing special here - very average, common flavor profile. Brightening it up at the end with lemon juice didn't help at all.

Michael M C.

We thought it was delicious and very flavorful.

Mariano I.

just okay, good for a weeknight. We reduced the amount of capers to 1 tbsp max so it is not that overpowering.

Scott P.

These tacos were terrific. Lots of welcome briny garlickiness---capers and green olives! I took care to cook the sauce down to a proper thickness---double the maximum time stated in the recipe---and all was well.

Michael C.

Tried it twice, first time per recipe - it was so-so. The second time, cut back on capers and added two oz of canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Now, these are fajitas. What a difference. The first was devoid of any hint of Mexico.