# Seared Pork Secreto over Pinto Beans with Mexican-Spiced Carrots, Cilantro Citrus Sauce & Pepitas > Rich, deeply browned pork secreto sits over creamy pinto beans, with sweet, spice-roasted carrots alongside. A bright cilantro citrus sauce cuts through the pork’s richness, while toasted pepitas give the tender beans and carrots a little crunch. - URL: https://www.chezjk.com/recipes/secreto-over-rancho-gordo-pintos-with-mexican-spiced-roasted-carrots-cilantro-ci - Author: Jonathan Katzman - Cooked and photographed: 2023-02-13 - Recipe updated: 2026-10-23 - Serves: 4 servings - Tags: gluten-free, nut-free ![Seared Pork Secreto over Pinto Beans with Mexican-Spiced Carrots, Cilantro Citrus Sauce & Pepitas](https://www.chezjk.com/api/images?path=9e5d6860-dd86-455e-b57b-e352c363fc57%2F80cdfbf69ec4bd54.jpg) ## Pan-Seared Pork Secreto Secreto’s generous marbling rewards a hard sear and a short rest. Cutting across the grain keeps this irregular, flavorful cut tender. ### Ingredients - 1.5 lb pork secreto, in whole pieces - 1.5 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, or about 4.5 g salt - 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper - 1 tbsp ghee ### Instructions 1. Trim only loose flaps and tough surface membrane, leaving the marbling intact. Note the direction of the grain before cooking. Pat dry, season with salt, and refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes or up to overnight. 2. Pat the pork dry again and add the pepper. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add the ghee, and swirl to coat. 3. Sear the pork in a single layer, working in batches if necessary, for 2–4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Lower the heat if the rendered fat begins to smoke heavily, and turn the meat as needed to cook evenly. 4. Check the thickest section with an instant-read thermometer inserted from the side. Continue cooking until it reaches 145°F; unusually thick pieces can finish in a 375°F oven. 5. Rest for 5 minutes, including at least 3 minutes after reaching 145°F. Slice across the grain into roughly 1/2-inch-thick strips and reserve the resting juices for the beans. ### Notes - Secreto varies considerably in thickness; use temperature rather than color or a fixed cooking time to judge doneness. ## Whole Pinto Beans with Their Broth Gently simmered beans provide a creamy, earthy base without competing with the pork. A little cooking liquor catches the pork juices and keeps the plate succulent. ### Ingredients - 1.5 cups dried Rancho Gordo pinto beans, sorted and rinsed - 6 cups water, plus more as needed - 0.5 yellow onion, left in one piece - 3 cloves garlic, lightly crushed - 1 bay leaf - 1 tbsp olive oil - 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste ### Instructions 1. If time allows, soak the beans overnight in plenty of water, then drain. 2. Combine the beans, 6 cups fresh water, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and olive oil in a pot. The water should cover the beans by about 2 inches; add more if needed. 3. Bring to a full boil for 10 minutes, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Partially cover and cook until completely creamy inside but still intact, usually 1–2 hours for soaked beans and potentially longer for unsoaked beans. 4. Keep the beans submerged by adding hot water as needed. Once they begin to soften, add the salt and continue cooking until tender. 5. Remove the onion and bay leaf. Uncover briefly to reduce excess liquid if necessary: the finished beans should be moist and spoonable, not soupy. Adjust salt and fold in the pork resting juices just before serving. ### Notes - Cook the beans a day ahead if convenient; cool and refrigerate them in their cooking liquid. - Keep citrus out of the bean pot until the beans are tender, since acid can delay softening. ## Mexican-Spiced Roasted Carrots A hot oven caramelizes the carrots’ cut faces while leaving the centers tender. Earthy cumin, mild chile, and oregano balance their winter sweetness. ### Ingredients - 1.5 lb medium carrots, scrubbed or peeled - 2 tbsp olive oil - 1 tsp ground cumin - 1 tsp pure ancho chile powder - 0.5 tsp dried Mexican oregano, crushed - 0.75 tsp kosher salt ### Instructions 1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Halve the carrots lengthwise, quartering thicker ones, and cut very long carrots into approximately 5-inch lengths. 2. Toss with the olive oil, cumin, ancho chile, oregano, and salt. Spread cut-side down on a large rimmed baking sheet, leaving room between pieces. 3. Roast for 20 minutes without moving them, then turn and roast another 5–15 minutes, until deeply browned at the edges and tender when pierced. 4. Taste and adjust salt. Keep uncovered until plating so the browned surfaces do not steam soft. ## Cilantro Citrus Sauce Cilantro and winter citrus bring freshness to the pork and beans. Blending with olive oil gives the sauce enough body to cling to both sliced meat and roasted carrots. ### Ingredients - 1 large bunch cilantro, tender stems included, washed and thoroughly dried - 3 tbsp fresh orange juice - 2 tbsp fresh lime juice - 0.5 tsp finely grated orange zest - 1 small clove garlic, chopped - 0.5 jalapeño, seeded and chopped - 0.333 cup olive oil - 0.5 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste - 1–2 tbsp cold water, only as needed ### Instructions 1. Roughly chop the cilantro; you should have about 2 packed cups. Place in a blender with the orange juice, lime juice, zest, garlic, jalapeño, and salt. 2. Pulse to chop, then add the olive oil and blend just until bright green and spoonable. Add cold water a little at a time only if needed to move the blades. 3. Taste and adjust salt and lime juice. The sauce should be vivid and tangy, with enough orange sweetness to soften the acidity. 4. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until needed. Stir before spooning over the finished dish. ### Notes - Avoid prolonged blending, which warms the herbs and dulls their color. The sauce is best made the day it is served. ## Toasted Pepitas Toasted pumpkin seeds add a nutty crunch against the soft beans and carrots without making the sauce heavy. ### Ingredients - 0.25 cup raw hulled pumpkin seeds - 1 pinch fine sea salt ### Instructions 1. Place the pepitas in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Toast, stirring frequently, until puffed in places, lightly golden, and fragrant, 3–5 minutes. 2. Transfer immediately to a plate, sprinkle with salt, and cool completely before using. ## Overall Timing / Workflow The beans are the only long-lead component. Once they are tender, the carrots, sauce, and pork can be finished within about 45 minutes. ### Instructions 1. The night before, optionally soak the beans and salt the pork. 2. About 2–3 hours before serving, start the beans; allow extra time for an older or unsoaked batch. 3. 45 minutes before serving, heat the oven to 425°F, prepare the carrots, and season the pork if not already salted. 4. 35 minutes before serving, put the carrots in the oven. Blend the cilantro citrus sauce and toast the pepitas while they roast. 5. 15 minutes before serving, begin searing the pork. Keep the beans hot over low heat, adding a splash of water if they tighten. 6. Rest the pork, stir its juices into the beans, then slice and plate. If the pork needs an oven finish, remove the cooked carrots and reduce the oven to 375°F. ## Plating Keeping the carrots beside the beans preserves their roasted texture, while sauce over both sides ties the plate together. ### Instructions 1. Spoon a broad bed of warm pinto beans onto one side of each plate, including just enough broth to moisten them. 2. Fan the sliced pork across the beans and arrange the roasted carrots alongside. 3. Spoon cilantro citrus sauce generously over the carrots and in smaller ribbons across the pork. 4. Scatter the toasted pepitas mainly over the carrots, with a few around the plate. Serve immediately. ## Leftover Path Separate storage protects the pepitas’ crunch and the sauce’s freshness. Gentle reheating keeps the pork from becoming tough. ### Instructions 1. Refrigerate pork, beans, carrots, and sauce separately within 2 hours. Use the cooked pork, beans, and carrots within 3–4 days, and the sauce within 2 days. Store cooled pepitas airtight at room temperature. 2. Reheat beans gently with a splash of water. Rewarm carrots in a 375°F oven until hot. 3. For a next-day bean bowl, thinly slice the leftover pork and heat it briefly in the beans with a little broth, bringing leftovers to 165°F. Add the carrots, then finish off heat with the sauce and pepitas. 4. Freeze extra beans in their broth for up to 3 months. --- From ChezJK (https://www.chezjk.com), Jonathan Katzman's public home-cooking archive: every meal he has photographed, written up as a recipe you can cook.