Sweet 'n Spicy Pork Tacos

Tacos are another of the delightful indigenous foods with origins in ancient Meso America.   They traditionally consist of some kind of filling wrapped in a maize (corn) tortilla.  For more history and information on corn tortillas see my post on how to make your own from scratch. The first tacos ever eaten by Europeans occurred at the time of the Conquistadores initial meeting with the Aztecs.  Bernal Díaz del Castillo documented a taco feast which Hernán Cortés arranged for his captains in Coyoacán--the meat filling they used on that occasion was pork from pigs Cortés had brought all the way from Cuba.  The indigenous peoples' taco filling include small fish, live insects and ants, locusts and snails, and avocados and chili peppers.
The remarkable thing about tacos is their versatility.  Modern-day tacos come in profusion of styles and flavors.  For instance, taco shells are made with soft flour tortillas, fresh corn tortillas, deep fried hard shells etc.  The filling are even more diverse--I've had bean, cheese, shrimp, shredded pork, beef hamburger, fried fish, and even Korean tacos made with kimchi!

Heedless of the torrent of taco alternatives I decided to experiment with the genre and come up with something innovative (this happens to me a lot when I look at random ingredients that I found on sale and wonder--what can I make out of all of this?).  My experiment included pork, an Anaheim pepper, fresh pineapple, green onions, and--wait for it--KEFIR (are you surprised?)!  The result was delicious.

Here's how to make Sweet 'n Spicy Pork Tacos:

• 1 lb Pork - cut in thin strips
• 12 ounces Fresh Pineapple - cut in thin strips
• 2 Anaheim Peppers (these are the one that look like large pointed Jalapeños but are only half as hot) - diced 
• 1 large bunch Green Onions - chopped
• Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder to taste
• 3/4 cup Kefir (or Buttermilk if you don't have Kefir)
• Fresh Corn Tortillas
• Fresh Super Bowl Salsa to top it with

Fry the pork in a bit of olive oil until brown.  Add the pineapple, peppers, and onions.  Sautee on medium high (stirring frequently) until all the liquid released from the ingredients is evaporated.  Add, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to taste.  Turn the heat down to medium and add the kefir / buttermilk.  Stir in and let simmer until the liquid is mostly gone.  Turn off the heat and cover to relax cooked pork and further integrate the flavors while you make/warm the fresh tortillas.  I used masa harina (preprepared corn tortilla flour), but you could heat some freshly made corn tortillas on the griddle, or (with a lot of advance planning) make your own.

Serve with hot tortillas, sour cream (yogurt cheese, or kefir cheese are great low-fat alternatives), and Super Bowl Salsa!  This should feed a family of 4 but these are so good you may want to make extra for leftovers.  Enjoy!