Adobo Grilled Pork with Esquite Stuffed Onions

Adobo Grilled Pork from Curras Nuevo Cuisine in Asheville, NC. A delicious blend of Latin spices paired with an amazing toasted corn Mexican snack.

A Granted Birthday Wish: My Favorite Asheville Restaurant

For my birthday, several years ago, my husband wanted to know where we should have dinner, as if he had to ask. I simply replied, “You know where.” For as many incredible independent restaurants Asheville has, there was ONE that I placed on a pedestal, Curras Nuevo Cuisine.

Before I tell you why, let me expound on the food scene here. Asheville has marketed itself as a “foodtopia society.” A place where ALL culinary, dietary, and planet-friendly endeavors are celebrated. We have more locally-owned restaurants than most cities 10 times our size. AND THEY’RE GOOD! No, no… They are awesome!

All this being said, Curras Nuevo Cuisine reigned supreme, in my mind, as the Asheville restaurant that had it all! (Unfortunately, it ended up closing a while back. I’m still a little teary-eyed over it.)

Sharing Curras’ Adobo Pork Recipe

Chef Tyler De Bruyne’s menu was seasonal and well thought out; a delightful blend of bold Latin flavors and fresh local ingredients. Some of my favorite dishes included the stuffed poblanos, the airy tres leches cake, and the ultra-creamy flan. And let’s not forget the sauces, dear me, the sauces!

For the birthday meals, we started with Fried Green Tomatillos and Goat Cheese with Candied Anaheim Chile Relish. I ordered the nightly special of Seared Tripletail over Heirloom Tomatoes with Pineapple Salsa topped with a Stuffed Squash Blossom. The hubs had Adobo Grilled Pork with Esquite Stuffed Sweet Roasted Onions. It’s hard to say whose was better. 

Sadly, my restaurant photos didn’t turn out well after the sun went down! I hadn’t prepared to make a post of the night. So I don’t have great photos of the restaurant’s dishes!

The owner Marco Garcia, a veteran restaurateur in Austin, Texas and Florida, was gracious enough to share the recipe for the Adobo Grilled Pork. As I prepared this recipe at home, I made a few slight changes.

1.  I altered the quantity, as I’m sure you don’t need 3 pounds of Adobo Sauce in your fridge!
2. I made little method adjustments to accommodate home cooks who don’t have industrial equipment. That’s it! It turned out just as lovely as we remembered it.

Thank you Marco and Chef Tyler. You made my birthday very special indeed!

How to Prepare This Adobo Pork:

• Toast the peppers in a skillet or on a griddle until aromatic, but do not burn. Remove the stems and shake out the seeds.

• Heat 1 cup of orange juice in a sauce pot. Add the garlic, cinnamon stick and bay leaves to soften. Once the orange juice is very hot, add the chiles and remove from heat. Allow the chiles to soak in the juice until they are soft—10 minutes.

• Pour the contents of the pot into a food processor. Add the remaining juice, vinegar, and following 5 spices. Puree until smooth.

• Heat the grill to medium. Brush the adobo sauce onto the pork loins, salt well, and set aside. Cut two onions in half, then slice off the stump on either end.

• Grill the pork for 15 minutes, turning every five minutes. Remove from heat and tent with foil for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Grill the onions for 10-12 minutes until soft.

• Meanwhile, Cut the corn off the cobs and place it in a skillet over medium heat.

• Saute the corn until it is popping and almost dehydrated—about 10 minutes. Then lower the heat and add the butter and goat cheese. Stir the cheese until melted. Stir in the paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with a little lime juice at the very end.

• Slice the pork in ¼- ½ slices on the bias. Push the center sections out of each onion half (reserving for another dish) leaving only 2-3 rings. Fill the onion “cups” with the exsquite corn. Fan out the pork slices on a plate and set an onion cup next to it.

• For a cool plating effect, brush a little of the extra adobo sauce around the edge of each plate. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F then turn it off. Place the plates in the oven for 5-10 minutes to allow the sauce to dry! Allow the plates to cool before serving!

Get The Full (Printable) Recipe Below For How To Make Adobo Grilled Pork with Esquite Stuffed Onions!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you thicken the adobo sauce?

In a separate bowl, add 1 tablespoon of water to cornstarch, mix it well and then add it to the sauce. 

How long does this last in the fridge?

This dish does not have a long fridge shelf life and I would not suggest keeping in the fridge for longer than 1-3 days. It is definitely best when fresh! Reheat in the microwave.

Can I freeze this recipe? 

I would not suggest making and freezing it for another time. Make it fresh and enjoy right away.

What is the best vinegar to use in the adobo sauce?

White vinegar is the best type to use for this adobo sauce.

What is the difference between Mexican and Filipino Adobo? 

Mexican adobo is based around a specific spice mixture, whereas Filipino adobo refers to the entire dish, and is considered the national dish of the Philippines.

Related Mexican (Latino) Recipes:

1. Perfect Gluten Free Tamale Pie Recipe
2. The Best Refined Beans Recipe (Canned or Dried!)
3. Red Posole Recipe with Pork (Posole Rojo) 
4. Instant Pot Perfect Carnitas 
5. 21 Mexican Fiesta Recipes 

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Leave a Review »

Adobo Grilled Pork with Esquite Stuffed Onions

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Adobo Grilled Pork from Curras Nuevo Cuisine in Asheville, NC. A delicious blend of Latin spices paired with an amazing toasted corn Mexican snack.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

For the Adobo:

• 3 ancho chiles
• 1 pasilla chile
• 1 2/3 cups orange juice
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 pork loins 1 pound each

For the Esquite Stuffed Onion:

• 2 large sweet onions peeled and halved
• 4 ears corn kernels removed
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 5 ounces chevre
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 lime
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

• Toast the peppers in a skillet or on a griddle until aromatic, but do not burn. Remove the stems and shake out the seeds.
• Heat 1 cup of orange juice in a sauce pot. Add the garlic, cinnamon stick and bay leaves to soften. Once the orange juice is very hot, add the chiles and remove from heat. Allow the chiles to soak in the juice until they are soft—10 minutes.
• Pour the contents of the pot into a food processor. Add the remaining juice, vinegar, and following 5 spices. Puree until smooth.
• Heat the grill to medium. Brush the adobo sauce onto the pork loins, salt well, and set aside. Cut two onions in half, then slice off the stump on either end.
• Grill the pork for 15 minutes, turning every five minutes. Remove from heat and tent with foil for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Grill the onions for 10-12 minutes until soft.
• Meanwhile, cut the corn off the cobs and place it in a skillet over medium heat.
• Saute the corn until it is popping and almost dehydrated—about 10 minutes. Then lower the heat and add the butter and goat cheese. Stir the cheese until melted. Stir in the paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with a little lime juice at the very end.
• To plate: Slice the pork in 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices on the bias. Push the center sections out of each onion half (reserving for another dish) leaving only 2-3 rings. Fill the onion “cups” with the esquite corn. Fan out the pork slices on a plate and set an onion cup next to it.
• For a cool plating effect, brush a little of the extra adobo sauce around the edge of each plate. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F then turn it off. Place the plates in the oven for 5-10 minutes to allow the sauce to dry! Allow the plates to cool before serving!

Notes

To change it up a bit, Curras served this dish with roasted asparagus, if you want a veggie!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 1490kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 199g, Fat: 53g, Saturated Fat: 23g, Cholesterol: 636mg, Sodium: 1325mg, Potassium: 4516mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 8704IU, Vitamin C: 71mg, Calcium: 187mg, Iron: 12mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Author: Sommer Collier

Making this recipe? Follow us on Instagram and tag @ASpicyPerspective so we can share what you’re cooking!

Share This Recipe With Friends!