Rick Bayless' Essential Simmered Tomatillo-Serrano Sauce

This last weekend, Kathy and I had what was possibly the best meal we have had all year.  Not at a restaurant, but at home.  Kind of odd combination, but it was amazing.  


It started out with a stop in a little grocery store after my haircut in Comfort on Saturday.  A bag of tomatillos and some serrano chiles came home with me.  (Also some all-natural Kim Chee, but that's a story for another time.)

The tomatillos and serrano chiles became Essential Simmered Tomatillo-Serrano Sauce, prepared from a recipe by Rick Bayless, who operates Frontera Grill and Topolobampo restaurants in Chicago, and who has a number of excellent cookbooks including Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen. When you make this sauce, make sure you use the roasting method -- it makes all the difference in the world.

We had pork tenderloins in the freezer just begging to go on the grill before freezer burn set in, so they got a quick bath in olive oil and a sprinkling of a spice rub called Ozark Seasoning from Penzey's Spices, where we buy most of our spices. This was not a natural choice when thinking of a Mexican Sauce, but it turned out to be a perfect combination. Pork was grilled over charcoal and pecan wood until just medium (slightly pink with internal temperature about 150-155°.)


Some of the tomatillo-serrano sauce got mixed in with some sliced onions that had been fried over medium-high heat until brown but still crunchy (almost all the way to the high setting on most stove tops like most of you and I use), then simmered briefly over medium heat.  Perfect with the tenderloin.


Served with some chunks of potatoes roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper until golden brown, and a tangy cole slaw.  Since we are being eclectic - maybe a nice India Pale Ale.  Yumm!