Homemade Blue-Corn Blini with Maple-Chile-Braised Pork Belly & Cilantro

11 g
Protein
225
Calories
35 g
Carbs
5 g
Total Fat
45 min
Prep Time
150 min
Cook Time
12
Serving
Homemade Blue-Corn Blini with Maple-Chile-Braised Pork Belly & Cilantro

Ingredients

Homemade Blue-Corn Blini

  • 1 ½ cups lactose-free milk, divided
  • ¾ cup blue cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • ¾ cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 dashes cayenne

Maple-Chile-Braised Pork Belly & Cilantro

  • 1 pork tenderloin, about 1 pound
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 head garlic
  • 2 Guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • Lime wedges
  • Chopped cilantro

Nutrition Facts

per serving

Calories: 225
Protein: 11 g
Carbohydrate: 35 g
Fiber: 1 g
Total Fat: 5 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 43 mg
Calcium: 53% DV
Sodium: 451 mg

Instructions

For the blini:

  1. In a small pan, bring 1 cup lactose-free milk to a boil.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, salt, baking soda and sugar. Pour milk over the cornmeal and stir together; set aside.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ cup milk, egg and butter; stir into the cornmeal mixture.
  4. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and cayenne. Stir into the wet ingredients until evenly combined.
  5. Drop 2 tablespoon scoops of batter onto a preheated, buttered griddle. Cook for 1 minute until the first side is golden brown and cooked through. Turn and cook on the second side. Repeat with remaining batter.

Tips + Tricks:

  • Serve these as appetizers topped with a pinch of Maple-Chile-Braised Pork Tenderloin, a squeeze of lime and chopped fresh cilantro. Or, cook the batter into regular-sized pancakes and finish with butter and syrup.
  • You may substitute yellow or white cornmeal for the blue cornmeal.
  • Blini batter is best without lumps. Try using an electric mixer to smooth it completely.

For the pork tenderloin:

  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Cut the pork tenderloin into large cubes and season with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan.
  2. Halve the head of garlic horizontally to expose the cloves and toast in a dry sautépan with the chiles. Toast over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the maple syrup and cook 3 minutes for the flavors to combine. Pour over the pork and cover.
  3. Place in the oven and cook for 1 ¾ to 2 hours. Remove the garlic and chiles from the cooking liquid and cool. Shred the pork with two forks.

Tips + Tricks:

  • Serve forkfuls of pork on Blue-Corn Blinis, finished with a squeeze of lime and some chopped cilantro. Make entrée portions by making the blinis into the size of traditional pancakes, layering the pork in between layers of pancakes and finishing with a fried egg on top.
  • Keep the pork from being too sweet by using dark amber maple syrup. It is richer in flavor without the additional sweetness.
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