The Dining Diva

Cambalache, A Steak House in Mexico City

After 6 days of power eating our way through Toluca and Michoacan, tasting everything from huitlacoche to mamey to green chorizo, the taste buds had hit overload with traditional Mexican food.  Impossible as that may seem, all we really wanted was a break from the sensory assault on the palate............something nice.............something simple.  Which is how we ended up at Restaurante Cambalache.  Located in the Colonia Polanco section of Mexico City, it is arguably the best steakhouse in D.F. A 2-story affair, it is decorated with a lot of rough hewn woods in various states of finish.  The first thing you notice, however, upon entering is the very large and very hot open flame grill spitting flames.  As we were led up the steep and narrow staircase to our table on the 2nd level I couldn't help but notice they stylishly dressed, polished, sophisticated and mostly male clientele; this is not a jeans and T-shirt kind of place.

Portion are large, no, make that enormous, so our table of 4 elected to forego the starters and begin with salads, something we hadn't eaten in nearly a week.  My dining companion and I split a terrific watercress salad.  The leaves had been stripped form the tougher stems, lightly dressed in a lime based vinaigrette and then topped with a few too many marinated white onions that, thankfully, retained none of their bite and all of their crunch.  It was light and refreshing.  Our table mates each ordered a Caesar salad which was prepared with great skill and flourish at the table.  Whole, perfect inner romaine leaves were tossed into the salad bowl along with large croutons and many handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  Thought somewhat overdressed, the end result was a beautiful, traditional version of a classic Caesar.  Two other salads on the menu captured our imagination but not our order. The ensalada Cambalache is the house salad composed of 7 or 8 different types of vegetables and a good quantity of hearts of palm.  The other was the blue cheese salad, also made at the table, with what appeared to at least a half pound of imported blue cheese.

Though there are several other meat choices on the menu - such as rabbit, lamb, pork and chicken - Cambalache is an Argentinean steakhouse, so beef is the focus.  Beautiful, robustly flavorful and buttery tender beef.  A massive display case full of the raw options will gladly be rolled table-side to allow guests to choose a particular cut of beef if desired, and these cuts are not wimpy.  A beef order for 1 person weighs in at a heft 14 oz.  Cuts for 2 people tip the scales at 28 oz. making these entrees a low-carb, Atkins dieter's delight. We ordered 2 skirt steaks medium rare and that is exactly how they arrived, medium rare.  A knife was barely needed to cut them they were that tender.  The steaks were served with two sauces, one a rather nondescript tomato based salsa and the other a garlicky chimichurri which complemented the richness of the beef well.  Good or better choices than the skirt steak would be the rib-eyes or filet mignon.  Kebobs with huge chunks of tender meat and equally huge chunks of vegetables are perfectly grilled and delicious as well.

Entrees are strictly a la carte but there are a wealth of side dishes from which to choose.  The side to order, however, is listed simply as Souffled Potatoes. Don't expect anything remotely resembling a souffle, though. What arrives is one of the most delicious and creative versions of French fries.  An enormous and deep basket fashioned out of long shreds of potato is deep-fried and then nestled into a bed of more deep-fried shreds.  The basket is filled with thinly sliced potatoes that "poof" when they hit the hot oil creating a chip with a crisp exterior and airlily wispy interior. Every part of this study in potato is virtually grease-free and eating just one virtually impossible. On order of the souffled potatoes was easily enough for our table of four.

The dessert menu is extensive and includes the usual suspects such as crepes Suzette and NY-style cheesecake. My table mates opted for the sponge cake that had been filled and rolled and topped with a rich caramel sauce.  I choose 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream over which a 2 shots of whiskey had been poured and a few fistfuls of nuts thrown in for good measure.  Kind of like a root beer float for adults. As the ice cream melted it rounded out any edge to the whiskey and the nuts enhanced a lot of the woody notes in the alcohol.

Also on the dessert menu and really not to be missed are the array of flaming after-dinner coffee drinks, many of which are house specialties.  A specially designed rolling cart decked out with a gleaming chafing dish and a multitude of liquor bottles is delivered table-side and the theatrical display begins.  The waiters are not afraid to pour on the liquor and coax the resultant flames into dramatic displays of near arson.  Not only is the performance entertaining, the drinks are actually quite good.

And speaking of drinks, the wine list features an interesting selection of Argentinean, Chilean, Spanish and French wines with a few Californians thrown in for good measure.  We drank a Spanish Rioja Reserva and a Malbec from Argentina.  Both were excellent and moderately priced compared to wine prices in American restaurants.

Service is quick, efficient and professional and there was what seemed like a whole fleet of service staff on the floor ready to make sure every guest's needs were met. If helps to know some Spanish as the waiters don't speak much English. They're good sports about most things and it's not terribly difficult to make yourself understood. If all else fails, menus are available in English.

2 salads, 2 skirt steaks, 1 order of souffled potatoes, 2 desserts and 2 good bottles of wine plus tip came to $2500 pesos, which is approximately $235 USD. Half the cost of the meal was the wine.  It is possible to have a very satisfying meal for far less than what we spent, particularly if you remember that portions are huge and can easily be shared.

Restaruante Cambalache is located at Arquimides 80 in Colonia Polanco.  The phone number in D.F. is 5280-2080.  Reservations are probably advisable.

Mama Testa Taqueria

Webster's New World Dictionary defines a taco as a Mexican dish consisting of a fried, folded tortilla filled with chopped meat and shredded lettuce...........which only goes to prove that even the dictionary doesn't always get it right. Tacos, the ubiquitous street food of Mexico, aren't always fried, rarely have lettuce and can be filled with everything from escamoles and chapulines (ants and grasshoppers) to nopales and huitlacoche (cactus and corn fungus) to beef and chicken and everything else in between.  If it walks, swims, flies or simply just grows, it's fair game for a taco.

To get a better understanding of the sheer scope and variety of tacos, a visit to Mama Testa Taqueria in Hillcrest is the next best thing to doing hands-on research in Mexico.  Mama Testa owner, Cesar Gonzalez, was appalled by what passed for Mexican food in San Diego when he arrived from Guanajato several years ago. Then and there he vowed to open a restaurant that would showcase the diversity of the Mexican kitchen.  His decision to use the taco as the vehicle was inspired since tacos are so closely identified with Mexico.  Few foods lend themselves to as much diversity without loosing identity as does the taco.  With his mother as the chief research assistant, Cesar set out to learn as much as he could about tacos, gather recipes from every state in the Republic of Mexico along the way.  That research eventually translated into the menu for Mama Testa.  A taco only menu, a menu with 26 different varieties of tacos to be exact.  Who knew?

Mercifully, the escamoles and chapulines didn't make the menu cut because, well, Americans just don't do bugs.  And it's hard to find a consistent source for huitlacoche here in San Diego.  But the nopales survived and are featured in the Tacomal, an odd cross between a taco and a tamal (the singular of tamale). Not exactly everyone's idea of a taco, but a worthy vegetarian choice. There are four main Menu categories from which to make a choice.  Blanditos, or soft tacos.  Guisados, luscious, stewy concoctions full of satisfying flavor. Duros, or crunchy tacos. And finally, Cesta for the steamed tacos.

There are stellar versions of tacos less commonly found in San Diego - Conchinita Pibil, or not especially well done in San Diego - Chorizo.  The chorizo for the Atasco taco is made in-house from the ideal blend of pork and spices.  It is served as nice meaty crumbles and is remarkably grease-free.  Conchinita Pibil is one of the signature dishes of the Yucatan.  It is also the prime ingredient for the Yucateco tacos.  Pieces of pork are covered with an achioted based spice rub, wrapped in banana leaves to marinate for a few days and then slow roasted until the meat is succulent and tender. The tacos are served with a floral habanero salsa and the softly pickled onions traditional to the Yucatan.  For something more mainstream, the Asi Yasado soft tacos are filled with grilled chicken and served with a sprinkle of white onion, chopped cilantro and a bright, clean tasting salsa verde.  All the meat used at Mama Testa is organic and/or free range.  And for the record, vegetable is used, not lard.

The most unusual dish on the menu is also one of the best, Mojados de Carne.  It belies the fried and folded dictionary definition.  Instead the tortillas are rolled around shredded beef, briefly deep fried (okay, so there is a little frying involved here) and cut into bite-sized lengths.  Those pieces arrive floating in a bold, beefy consume with a pleasantly piquant chile kick. Minced onions, cilantro come on the side along with lime wedges, all of which can be added to taste.  Not that San Diego has that many cold days, but Mojados de Carne is a deeply satisfying such on a cold day, and it's not too bad on a hot one either. 

Vegetarians are not forgotten.  Various combinations of cheese, chiles, cactus and wondrously tasty mashed potatoes are available.  In face, I find it nearly impossible to resist the sirens call of tacos Empapados, mashed potatoes served in a crunchy shell. If you ask nicely, it is sometime possible to substitute those yummy mashers for the usual beans and rice that accompany many of the dishes. 

Other menu favorites include the Tinga Tuya a guisado of pork and chorizo; bistec; the fish taco made with catfish filet and the aforementioned cheese and rajas (chile strips) tacos. Most plates do come with black beans and fluffy Mexican rice.  Both are somewhat forgettable, though I do like the rice because each grain is separate and it doesn't overwhelmingly taste of chile powder and cumin.

Ten salsas are made from scratch daily from a variety of chiles and ingredients not typically used in salsas north of the border such as morita chiles and sesame seeds.  All orders come with hot, thin and crispy tortilla chips and as many trips to the self-serve salsa bar as you can manage. The salsas are usually labeled; be sure to try the bright orange Escalera.  For an interesting twist check out the salsa made with Parmesan cheese, it's delicious.  Not all salsas are searingly hot, nor are they meant to be.  They are a condiment meant to enhance the flavor of the food on which it is used, not hide it! A word of caution, not every salsa in this salsa bars will work with every taco on the menu so try them first on a chip to determine if you like the salsa or not.  But then, that's really just another excuse to try the best salsa bar in town.

As with most of Hillcrest, parking can be a challenge.  Resist the temptation to give up and just keep driving.  Unlike many taquerias that are cramped and charmless, Mama Testa is decorated in the bright gem-tone colors of Mexico and good quality folk art with an underlying Lucha Libre theme. It's the perfect place to relax, meet friends, have a beer, eat a few tacos or kick back and watch a soccer match, telenovela or even Don Francisco on Sabado Gigante; all the while reflecting on the fact that "folded and fried" barely scratches the surface of a taco.

The Curse of the Coupon

I simply have GOT to pay closer attention when my mother starts asking me food questions.  Last night the questions began innocently enough --

Her - "Do you like Chili's"
Me - "I don't know, I've never been there" (which wasn't exactly the truth, I have been to
Chili's.........once..............I have no recollection of the experience)
Her - "I have a coupon for $5 off that expires tomorrow night, why don't we go"
Me - (on automatic pilot and already tuning her out) "Okay"

Among my friends I am well known for not being a morning person.  All this week I've been rising at 4:45 AM (it's very dark) in order to arrive at work by 6:30 AM to help my employees open a new espresso satellite.  They all know it's 2 cups of coffee or 10 AM, whichever comes first, before I'm truly functional in the morning. I don't do early mornings, as a result I was very tired last night. Even though there were 2 red flags - Chili's and coupon - in that short conversation, I let them slide. Bad move.

I should probably also mention that my mother's track record with dining coupons is dismal.  We have yet to let her live down the dreadful foray to Stuart Anderson's Black Angus for Mother's Day 2004.  She insisted on using not 1 but 2 coupons, each for $20, for their INEDIBLE meal deal. But, jeez, the coupons were for 2 people for $20 she couldn't pass it up, never mind you couldn't eat what was served.

So, off to Chili's it was this evening for dinner.  I dropped my mother off up front to go put our name on the waiting list while I managed to snag the last spot in the parking lot. Right there between the F-250 with big tires and a trailer hitch reading "Glamis" and the mom-mobile, otherwise known as a Chrysler Town & Country.  Already things were not boding well.  I pushed my way through the horde of people blocking the door and found my mother.

"They said it would only be 10-15 minutes" They being the impossibly thin hostesses who probably were maybe all of 17, okay, 17 1/2 years old. 

I looked at the crowd, looked at the full tables and settled in for what I was sure would be a long wait.  30 years in the food business tends to jade a person and I underestimated Chili's ability to burn and turn.  The overly crowded foyer began to thin out and at the 15 minute mark it was my mother and I, and 2 couples that had come in after us. I had been watching a 2-top sit unbussed for the last 10 minutes and knew that if they ever decided to clear the table we'd be seated.  A bus person finally cleared half the table and disappeared leaving the table still unready for new diners.  Eventually it was ready, but much to our surprise, a couple that came in after us was called.  My mother objected.  The hostess was flustered and confused. 

"What name was that?" 

My mother told her, but they went ahead and seated the other couple

"Oh, we crossed that name off, we sat you already"

"No, you didn't. We're still here" my mother said, gesturing to me at the same time.

The hostess checked her list of names, a look of puzzlement and consternation on her face.  What was she going to do with us.

"We'll seat you right away"

Several more minutes passed and finally they were ready to seat the next party.  Hmm.......but that wasn't our name they called.  My mother is tiny, not to mention old.  I am neither tiny, nor am I old.  Plus, I can do righteous indignation way better than she can.  This time it was my turn to protest.

"We were here before that couple.  We were before the other couple you seated, you need to seat us now"

"Uh, no........we can't..........just wait" as she tried to lead the couple - who were quite taken aback by the scene I was making - away from the now full again foyer.

"Uh, no........I don't think so.  You won't seat us?  We won't stay" I was rude and on a roll.  I turned abruptly, collected my mother, who was by now protesting herself, and we flounced out.....indignantly, of course.

One thing that 30 years in the business has not jaded me to is poor training and poor customer service.  The table I watched should have been bussed much faster than it was.  My mother should not have been ignored when she protested about the first couple being seated ahead of us when we had been waiting far long than they had. Nor shoudl they have seated that couple. And then to try and seat a 2nd couple ahead of us after acknowledging they'd made an error was really poor form.  If teenagers are going to be the face of a business, then train them how to handle uncomfortable and confrontive situations because these two young ladies were clearly at a loss as to how to deal with the problem. It takes a lot to piss me off and the ineptness and clumsiness with which the hostesses tried to cover their error, their non-responsiveness and the way they treated my mother pushed all the buttons. I'm not saying I'm proud of my behavior, but every once in a while it feels good to be righteously indignant.  It felt good tonight.

The problem of where to eat was still on the table.  The East County of San Diego is something of a dining desert and La Mesa is no exception.  When faced with the prospect of having to eat at The Outback Steak House or the Olive Garden, I elected to take pot luck and just drive around in hopes of finding something else.

We ended up at Casa de Pico. There was no wait, though the place was full.  The staff was friendly, efficient and professional.  Hot, crispy chips and a passable salsa arrived immediately.  My mother, still grumbling about her treatment, ordered what she always does, the Cheese Crisp.  I was looking for something that wasn't going to pack a caloric hit, kind of tough in an Americanized Mexican restaurant that almost single handedly can keep the yellow cheese industry afloat.  There, hidden under a menu insert, on the right hand side of the menu were 6 "healthy" items, and will wonders never cease, they all had nutritional data.  I settled on the Chicken Fajita Salad at 435 calories and hoped for the best.

The chips and salsa helped take the edge off.  Yeah, a maggie would have helped more, but I still have to get up at the inhuman hour of 4:45 AM tomorrow morning.  The Cheese Crisp was fine, the Chicken Fajita Salad was not.  435 calories my foot.  The salad came in a deep fried flour tortilla shell, not exactly low on the hit parade of calories or fat grams.  The onions, tomato and bell peppers were over cooked to a sodden mush and I hated, hated I tell you, the seasoning on the chicken tenders. No wonder there was so much guacamole on the plate. It's the only way to mask the terrible taste.

But I kept reminding myself, Casa de Pico isn't about the food, it isn't about the food.  It was either date night or family night because the restaurant was filled with both, and I'm sure everyone else was enjoying their food more than I was mine.  Of course, they were drinking Margaritas the size of Qualcomm Stadium and probably didn't care.  The mariachi band came back from their break and began serenading the room.  I could feel the righteous indignation slipping away.  Can I forgive Chili's for their shoddy treatment?  No, but when a mariachi band is playing "It's a Small World After All" some of life's curve balls just don't seem to matter.  

   

Mexican Baked Goods

They go by many names, postres, pan dulces and galletas among others.  They are not my favorites.  Mexican baked goods. Walk in to any panaderia and the aromas will slyly seduce you into buying way more than you can possible eat.  Their appearance holds untold allure.  The problem for me has always been the betrayal in anticipation and flavor once I actually eat them.  More often than not they are a lot like eating unsweetened sandpaper.

Recently I took a road trip not to Mexico, but to Escondido in San Diego's north county.  The primary objective was Fiesta Oaxaqueño at the Escondido swap meet, which may be the only Oaxacan restaurant in San Diego at the moment........or at least until March 3rd.  A frequent poster on Chowhound.com had found this little gem and recommended interested folks meet up.  I'm glad we did.  The food at Fiesta Oaxaqueño was well done and delicious and included many Oaxacan specialties, Tlayudas and Chapulines (grasshoppers) among them. While these were good and definitely worth a visit, it was the  trip to Panaderia Ortiz after the swap meet meal that captured my attention.

We arrived on a Sunday in the early afternoon well after most people would have made their purchases.  There was still an ample selection from which to choose.  Instead of the usual round metal pizza tray and tongs one finds in Mexico, Panaderia Ortiz supplies plastic cafeteria trays and tongs for making selections.  A dangerous practice if ever there was one since a cafeteria tray is larger than a pizza tray and easier to over fill.  After picking choosing and deselecting because I knew I could never eat that much, here's what I ended up with --

They look like huaraches, but don't taste like 'em!  These crispy treats were more like sugar sprinkled flaky pie crust.  They weren't quite as flaky as good pie crust, but they certainly had that melt in you mouth quality.

Two out of 3 of these were real winners.  The square in the back was simply puff pastry baked with some shredded coconut and heavily dusted with powdered sugar.  There was nothing inherently wrong with it, It was just bland, boring and disappointing.

The twist was the biggest surprise on the plate.  Imagine what it might happen if a rich, light and flaky (no NOT Paris Hilton) croissant married a raised donut. That's what the twist was like.  There was just enough lightness and tenderness in the dough.  The sugar added the crowning touch.  Originally, I figured at best this would be a too dry donut.  I figured wrong, 2 days after I purchased it, it was still sweet and fresh.  This twist would be perfect with coffee.

The winner on the plate above was definitely the 3 round pastries that looked suspiciously like misshapen cream puffs.  Not even close.  Believe it or not, those balls were made out of 2 cookies sandwiched together with something vaguely resembling traditional pastry cream, but a bit stiffer and perhaps a bit sweeter.  Both cookies and cream had been flavored with a mystery flavor that evoked lemon.......and something else I've yet to put my finger on.  Could have been cheap imitation lemon flavoring, or it could have been something else.  This calls for more field trials in order to determine just exactly what.

I scored a solid success with 3 out of 4 of these items. The looser was the cookie down front.  I'm a sucker for coconut, so I had to try it.  The usual problem, dry and bland.  Even the coconut couldn't save this cookie. Luckily, the large cookie was very good.  Since it was big I was only going to eat half of it, but I found myself wandering back to the kitchen for the other half a few minutes after I finished the first half. 

The empanada on the other hand was wonderful.  The pastry crust was not flaky - nor is it supposed to be - but it was tender and surprisingly flavorful.  It was filled with a rather gelatinous pastry cream which could have been a commercial product or homemade, I couldn't tell.  I also couldn't readily identify the flavor of the pastry cream.  It wasn't quite vanilla, it wasn't quite cream cheese, but it was quite good and worked perfectly with the empanada dough.  Drizzle it with some warm cajeta, add a scoop of chocolate or cinnamon ice cream and a few berries and it would be a great dessert.

More puff pastry was filled with berry filling and this was much better than the square coconut puff pastry.  The berry twist is also a good match for coffee, or a good idea for a light cena along with some fruit and cheese.

Panaderia Ortiz can be found on Juniper St. in Escondido in the block immediately south of Grand Ave. They also sell little bags of Mole Rojo paste that is can be easily reconstituted.  There were tamales de mole wrapped in banana leaves in an insulated cooler in the center of the store and an old soup pot doing double duty dispensing champurrado. According to the flyer we picked up there on Sunday, they are opening a second location in Vista no March 3rd, this one complete with restaurant serving Oaxacan specialties.

Oaxacan cooking is delightfully different and until now it's been available mainly in Los Angeles.  It is well worth seeking out because the flavors are big, bold and unexpected.  Tamal de Iguana anyone?  It's nice to see Oaxacan food options popping up in San Diego.  Fiesta Oaxaqueño and Panaderia Ortiz don't even begin to scratch the surface of the Oaxacan kitchen, but they will provide an approachable and tasty introduction.

And if ever you needed a reason to visit a swap meet this just about sums things up

 

Hit or Miss

Sometimes cooking can be hit or miss.  Frankly, I have more hits than misses, but unfortunately, dinner on Sunday fell into the miss category.  I've been cooking my way through Mexico, One Plate at a Time as part of the cookbook of the month cooking experience on Chowhound . I chose an easy recipe, one that wouldn't require a huge amount of time, technique or skill, the Flank Steak with Roasted Poblano Chile and Tomato Salsa.  I did trade out the flank steak or a flat iron steak, but that really had no bearing on the final result. 

I love working with fresh chiles.  I love the way they look, the way they feel,  and the spicy, earthy way they make the house smell when they're roasting.  Not to mention they're a fabulous source of Vitamin C! The first step in the recipe was to roast the chiles, tomatoes, onions and garlic

Since I don't have a gas range or broiler they had to go under the electric element in the oven.  The recipe indicated 5 minutes per side, a time frame I found too short.  This could be a function of the fact the oven I was using is 40 years old and the broiler element might not be that hot.  Or it could be a function of the time in the recipe being too short.  But after 5 minutes, this is what the chiles and tomatoes looked like.

The skin on the chiles will blister much quicker than that on the tomatoes.  The biggest challenge I've always had with trying to char chiles under the broiler is to not over cook them so that they end up being too soft and mushy.  The charred chile needs to retain some structure and bite to their texture.  The chiles came out after about 15 minutes total under the broiler............

........... and the tomatoes after about 20-22 minutes.  Far longer than the 10 minutes total called for in the recipe.  Already I was not off to a good start with this recipe, the roasting and toasting had taken twice as long as it should have.  But the chiles and tomatoes looked pretty good after they were done so I figured we were still on the right track.

Then I moved on to charring the onions and garlic. While the onions were roasting I skinned the chiles.

They look rather like the swamp monster from the green lagoon or something don't they.  But they were not overcooked.  Then it was on to peeling and coring the tomatoes

Once again the onions and garlic took longer to cook than the recipe indicated it should, and I wasn't as happy with the char I got on the onions.  Mostly the onions wanted to burn rather than turn a nice shade of "deep golden brown", but the garlic came out nicely roasted. I guess it was a trade off. So I dumped them into the food processor and pulsed a few times to chop.

Then added the tomatoes and pulsed a few more times

Chopped the peeled chiles and folded them in.............

Half the salsa went back into the food processor along with a little olive oil, a little balsamic vinegar, some sugar and some salt. Looks a little disgusting doesn't it.

   

Anyway, I ended up with 2 salsas.  One a puree to be spread on the steak before and during cooking, the other to be served on top of the finished steak. 

    

I cranked up the broiler once again and slathered the pureed salsa onto the flat iron steak.

         

      

Anything you can do with a flank steak you can do with the current trendy darling of the meat industry, the flat iron steak.  A more accurate name is probably top blade steak since it is actually derived from the tender top blade roast by cutting it in half horizontally.  There is a sinewy connective tissue running through the roast, splitting it in two seems to mitigate that connective tissues somewhat.  Most flat iron steaks are quite tender and any remnants of the connective tissue easily removed.

After about 10 minutes under the broiler, I flipped it over, slathered on some more pureed salsa, cooked it another 10 minutes and then let it rest while I finished the rest of dinner.

   

Served with black beans cooked with onion, garlic, epazote and drizzled with crema, and some steamed broccoli we called it dinner

    

And it'll have to be the side shot because the aerial photo from the top down didn't turn out.  The black beans were great, the steamed broccoli cruciferiously crunchy and the steak tender.  Unfortunately, I didn't care for the taste of the salsa and it certainly didn't add much to the steak.  I just wasn't that thrilled with the end results. 

I looked at the left over pureed salsa and the left over salsa and wondered whether to throw them out or save them.  I decided not to worry about it and transferred both salsas to a refrigerator container and figured I'd be like Scarlett O'Hara and worry about it another day.  4 days later as I was looking at a couple pork tenderloins and wondering what to do with them I remembered the container of salsa in patiently waiting in the the refrigerator. So I browned off the tenderloins poured the salsa over them, added a bit of chicken stock to thin it down and popped it into the oven to finish.  The salsa went far better with the pork than it did with the beef, but I still didn't care for it.  By now it was clear, this recipe just wasn't a keeper.