Flautas

I  saw  this recipe on one of the many cooking blogs out there, fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com. This girl has a huge following. She makes beautiful meals and takes great pictures. Something to aspire to for sure. I had never heard of flautas before (Spanish word for flutes). Mexican  in origin, these are meaty tortilla roll-ups usually deep fried. These however, are baked.   They sounded so good I just had to try them. And they are terrific! I recommend you all make these for a delicious family dinner. Thanks Pam for sharing with all of us!

I Changed the recipe slightly to accommodate my family. This makes for a mildly flavored  version.

Pork tenderloin, caramelized onion, and Monterey Jack baked flautas

2 T olive oil (divided)

1 sweet yellow onion, sliced

1 pork tenderloin (1 1/2 lbs), diced

1/4 t Chili powder, or to taste

1/4 t coriander, or to taste

1/2 t paprika, or to taste

1/2 t garlic powder, or to taste

1/4 t ground cumin , or to taste

1 t dried oregano, or to taste

sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

2 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

10 flour tortillas

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and cover with cooking spray.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook stirring often, about 10-15 minutes until caramelized and tender. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet over medium High heat. Once the pan is hot add the diced pork tenderloin then season, to taste, with all of the spices. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown, but not yet cooked through (it will finish cooking in the oven). Remove from the stove.

Wrap flour tortillas in wet paper towels and microwave them for 1 minute or until soft.

Place a bit of Monterey Jack cheese in the center of the tortilla then add caramelized onion and the diced pork:; roll. Place seam side down on prepared  baking sheet. Finish rolling the rest of the flautas, then spray each with cooking spray. Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes then turn over and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

Serve with guacamole, sour cream and salsa.

Makes 10 flautas