Pork, Black Bean & Corn Nachos

These are definitely not your typical movie theater nachos (thank goodness.) Pork tenderloin plays nicely with black beans and fresh corn. Add a zesty tomato sauce and a palm full of piloncillo and you’ve elevated simple nachos into something special.

Piloncillo is an ingredient common in Mexican cooking. It’s sugar cane juice that’s been poured into a mold, usually cone-shaped. It’s often compared to brown sugar—you can substitute brown sugar if you can’t find piloncillo—but it has a much more complex flavor. Piloncillo is dense, firm and must be grated before using. You can find it in international or Mexican markets.

This dish requires more than a handful of ingredients, but despite that it comes together quickly. Using pork tenderloin to make nachos is a bit of a splurge, but it’s important to use a quality cut of meat. The nachos’ quick cooking time will leave lesser cuts tough and chewy.

You can repurpose the sautéed pork by serving it in soft, flour tortillas or in hard taco shells. 

Pork, Black Bean & Corn Nachos

Serves 4 – 6.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup tomato puree

½ cup water

3 tablespoons white vinegar

3 tablespoons piloncillo or brown sugar

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup fresh corn kernels, cut from 1 ear of corn

1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 cups chopped lettuce, rinsed and patted dry

Tortilla chips

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

½ cup diced tomatoes

¼ cup sour cream

Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper and add it to the pan. Sear the pork, stirring occasionally, just until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, chili powder and cumin and cook until the onions begin to soften, another 2 minutes.

Stir in the tomato puree, water, vinegar and piloncillo or brown sugar. Simmer until sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Stir in the black beans, corn and cilantro and cook until heated through.

Arrange lettuce on a serving platter. Top the lettuce with tortilla chips. Spoon the pork and vegetables on top of the tortilla chips. Sprinkle with the cheese and tomatoes. Add a dollop of sour cream and serve.