Spicy Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

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SERVES 4

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Looking to tacos al pastor for inspiration, we set out to create a recipe for easy pork tacos that were moist and flavorful, with a subtle heat, and boasted the bright, lively notes of fresh pineapple. Rather than using the traditional pork butt, we started with quick-cooking ground pork. To keep the pork moist and infuse it with flavor, we tried cooking it with some chopped onion, tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, and pineapple. Unfortunately, the resulting tacos tasted one-note and overly tomatoey. Next we tried a can of Ro-tel tomatoes, which are flavored with chiles and offered some heat, and pureed them in the food processor along with some pineapple chunks. After a quick simmer in the sauce, the pork was tender and richly flavored. A simple pineapple salsa, flavored with red onion and cilantro, made the perfect garnish and bright-tasting finish to our easy pork tacos. See the Test Kitchen Tip that follows the recipe.

9	ounces fresh peeled and cored pineapple
1	small red onion
	Fresh cilantro
1	(10-ounce) can Ro-tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
1	pound ground pork
8	store-bought taco shells

1. Cut 6 ounces pineapple into ¼-inch pieces and coarsely chop remaining 3 ounces pineapple. Finely chop red onion and mince ¼ cup cilantro. Toss diced pineapple, half of red onion, and cilantro in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Process tomatoes with their juice and coarsely chopped-pineapple in food processor until smooth, about 15 seconds. Cook remaining onion and pork together in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until pork is no longer raw, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato mixture and simmer until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Warm taco shells as directed on package. Divide pork evenly among taco shells and serve with pineapple salsa.