Mexican Rice and Chorizo

This weekend we went to a friend's home for a wonderful cookout, a great time to catch up with friends and have some delicious food to end the summer break.  I had an idea to create a Mexican rice and sausage dish.  I was inspired by a dish my mother-in-law used to make with rice and sausage.  However, I wanted to take things in a spicier direction using chorizo, peppers, and spices.  This recipe has a fairly mild spice level.  If you want to kick up the heat, you can always add in some cayenne or siracha.  The dish was a hit and so here it is for you to enjoy!

Ingredients

Mexican Rice and Chorizo before adding cheese

1 1/2 cups basmati rice, uncooked
5 chorizo sausage links
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
4 ears of corn
1 tablespoon rice bran oil (or canola oil)

Dressing and spices
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon guajillo chili powder
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons rice bran oil (or canola oil)
Juice from 1 1/2 limes

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese

Cook the rice according the package directions. I highly recommend a rice cooker.  Before we got one, we always cooked it on the stove.  However, it rarely had a fluffy texture and was almost always wet and sticky.  Getting a rice cooker is an excellent investment if you like rice.  I will never go back to cooking it on the stove.

Remove the chorizo sausage from the casings and discard the casings.  Brown it on the stove, stirring  frequently to break the meat up into smaller bites.  Once cooked, set chorizo aside and drain off any excess grease.

Dice the onion and peppers and cut the corn off the cob.  Warm the oil in a large frying pan and begin sautéing the onions.  After they turn translucent, add the peppers and corn.  Season with salt and pepper.  Continue cooking until the veggies are cooked through, about 6 minutes.   

Mix all the dressing ingredients together and stir well.  Now that all the ingredients have been cooked, you can begin combining the different components.  In a large bowl, add the warm rice, veggies and sausage.  Gradually add the dressing and continue to stir the rice to coat it with all the delicious flavors.  Once it is well mixed, add the cilantro and transfer to a baking dish. 

Top the dish with the Mexican blend cheese.  Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees so that the cheese is melted.  Serve and enjoy!

Grilled Latin Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Corn Salsa

This past weekend, we went to our first summer cookout. This gave me a chance to try out a new recipe with some of the numerous spices from my pantry. I also wanted to use some fresh corn that I found last week at Frank's Produce in Elkridge. In addition to having some great produce, Frank's has several greenhouses of full of healthy, colorful plants at reasonable prices. Check it out if you have not been there. Now, back to the recipe. I decided on a Latin insired pork tenderloin with a corn and tomato salsa. The dish went over very well at the cookout. Hope you enjoy too!


Pork and Spice Rub Ingredients:
1-1.5 pound pork tenderloin
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon guajillo chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon corriander
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon canola oil

Corn Salsa Ingredients:
1 small onion
1/3 red bell pepper
1/3 orange bell pepper
3 ears of fresh corn
1 tomato
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Salsa Dressing Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
juice of 1/2-3/4 of a lime
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon salt

First, prepare the pork. Coat the pork tenderloin with the canola oil. Combine the spices together and then coat the pork all over with the spice rub. Place the pork in a sealed plastic bag and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Next, prepare the salsa. Boil the 3 ears of corn in salted water for about 15 minutes. While the corn in boiling, finely dice the onion, peppers, and tomato and combine in a mixing bowl. Finely chop the cilantro including the stems and set aside. Combine the remaining dressing ingredients. Once the corn is finished cooking, let cool for at least 10 minutes. Cut the corn off the cob and add it to the pepper and onions.

Finally, grill the pork. Heat your grill to a high temperature at first and get a good sear on the outside of the pork on both sides. Turn down the temperature to medium and cook until the meat reaches your desired internal temperature. The pork should reach 160 degrees before serving. Take the pork off the grill and allow to rest at least 5 minutes before cutting. Slice the pork into thin medallions for serving.

When you are ready to serve, combine the dressing, cilantro, and corn mixture together. Use the corn salsa as a base of your serving dish and place the pork medallions on top of the corn. Enjoy!

As a possible variation, you could grill the corn in the husks along with the peppers. This would add a more robust grill flavor to the dish. I had planned to do this when I started. However, I was having problems with my grill starting. So I resorted to cooking the corn on the stove and not roasting the peppers at all. Either way, I think it is a great dish.