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Mojito Pork Tostadas with Sweet Plantain and Pickled Onions

Mojito Pork Tostadas with Sweet Plantain Spears

These Mojito Pork Tostadas feature juicy pork marinated in rum, lime, and mint served with sweet plantain and pickled onions on a crisp corn tortilla.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Marinating/Pickling Time 4 hours
Course Main Course
Servings 4

Equipment

  • 12 skewers
  • Large Cast Iron Skillet
  • BBQ grill or cast-iron griddle

Ingredients
  

Mojito Pork

  • 2 pork blade steaks cut into strips
  • 1 clove garlic thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup fresh mint tightly packed
  • 2 tbsp demerara sugar
  • 4 oz dark rum
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Pickled Red Onions

  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • ½ large red onion cut into half moons
  • cup white vinegar
  • 2 dried chilis
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

Tostadas

  • 12 corn tortillas
  • cups neutral oil I used canola oil

Sweet Plantain

  • 1 ripe plantain cut into spears
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt

To Serve

  • 1 avocado cut into wedges
  • 1-2 jalapeños thinly sliced
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • fresh mint leaves and blossoms

Instructions
 

For the Pork

  • Place the garlic, mint, and sugar in a large bowl. Using a muddler, muddle the ingredients together until the mint leaves are bruised.
  • Add the rum, olive oil, and salt. Stir to combine and add the pork. Toss to coat. Cover and transfer to the fridge. Leave the pork to marinate for 4 hours, but no longer. **

For the Onions

  • While the pork is marinating, make the pickled onions. Pour the cumin seeds into a dry skillet and place over medium-low heat. Briefly toast the seeds, shaking the pan frequently. Once the seeds are fragrant, take the pan off of the heat.
  • Place the onions, dried chilis, and toasted cumin seeds in a medium-sized bowl. Set it aside. In another bowl, whisk to combine the vinegar, salt, and sugar. Pour the mixture over the onions and give everything a little swish. Cover and let pickle at room temperature for 4 hours.

For the Tostadas

  • Pour the oil into a large cast-iron skillet and place over high heat. Once bubbles begin to break the oil's surface or the oil registers 350°F on a candy thermometer, add 2 corn tortillas to the oil. Fry until golden, flipping once. This should take 2-3 minutes. Transfer the golden tortillas to a plate lined with a paper towel. Transfer to a low 150°F oven to keep warm.

For the Plantain

  • Pour the oil out of the pan and give it a quick wipe. Add the plantain, and sear until lightly golden on all sides. Reduce the heat to low and add the butter, brown sugar, and salt. Saute until a sauce forms and coats the plantain.
  • Transfer the finished plantain to a plate and transfer to the oven to keep warm.

Assembly

  • Take the pork out of the marinade and skewer on either stainless steel skewers or bamboo skewers that have been soaked overnight. Heat a BBQ grill or cast-iron griddle over high heat. Once smoking, add the pork skewers and char on all sides. Reduce the heat and cook about 3-4 minutes a side, to ensure the pork is cooked all the way through.
  • Place 3-4 pieces of pork on top of each tostada. Add a spear of sweet plantain and an avocado wedge. Top with a dollop of yogurt, 2-3 jalapeño rings, and pickled red onions. Serve immediately with lime wedges and your favorite hot sauce.

Notes

** Alcohol, like acid, cooks the outside of the meat, which basically seals the meat. This "cooking" doesn't happen immediately. So you can leave your pork in the marinade for up to four hours. But once the four hours are up, your meat really isn't absorbing all that much. 
Keyword corn tortillas, lime, mint, pork, red onion, rum, tostadas