Special Diets

Fast-off-the-Grill Chorizo Quesadillas

• From: National Pork Board

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb pork chorizo

• 5 10 inch flour tortillas

• 1 16 oz can black bean refried beans

• 1/2 lb Colby cheese, grated

• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed

• olive oil, for brushing

• 1 1/2 cups tomatillo salsa, (store-bought, look for tomatillo salsa fresh in the refrigerator case or in jars on the shelf)

Chorizo, a flavorful Mexican sausage, is the star of this terrific grilled appetizer.

Directions

• Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Use a spatula to crumble the chorizo as you place it in the pan. Sauté the chorizo until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo from the skillet to a plate.
• Arrange 5 tortillas on a work surface. Spread about 1/4 cup refried beans evenly over half of each tortilla, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Scatter about 1/3 cup cooked chorizo over beans. Scatter a generous 1/3 cup of cheese over top. Divide and arrange cilantro over top of cheese. Fold opposite half of tortilla over the filling. (The quesadillas can be assembled up to 1 hour before serving. Cover loosely with plastic wrap so they don't dry out, and set aside at room temperature.)
• Prepare a medium fire in a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill on medium. Brush outsides of tortillas with a small amount of oil. Using a wide spatula, transfer quesadillas to the grill. Grill on one side for about one minute, slide and turn quesadillas 90°, grilling until nice cross-hatch grill marks appear. Slide spatula underneath to flip quesadillas and grill the second side. Transfer the quesadillas to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the quesadillas into 5 wedges. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately accompanied with the tomatillo salsa.