This recipe is a variation on another food kit that we quite enjoyed, though the food kit used thinly sliced pork and, going forward, I am gonna use ground pork. If pork doesn’t work for you, feel free to substitute ground beef or turkey. The original kit recipe called for pan frying the flautas, but the air fryer worked a treat.
I am also not a huge fan of cilantro, so I used a very little bit on my flautas, adding chopped parsley in its place, and added a bit of extra hot sauce on top.
INGREDIENTS
Flautas:
•1 tbsp olive oil
•1 lb ground pork
•1 cup diced sweet onion
•8 oz pineapple chunks
•1 lime
•1/2 cup water
•1 tbsp Sherry Peppers Sauce*
•1 tsp Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Pepper Sauce – or your fave hot sauce, to taste
•1 tsp cornstarch
•1-1/2 tsp chile powder
•1-1/2 tsp cumin
•1/2 tsp Seasoned Salt
•8 flour tortillas
Toppings:
•2 tbsp sour cream
•1/4 tsp Seasoned Salt
•Crispy jalapeño pieces**
•Sliced scallions
•Cilantro
*No Sherry Peppers Sauce? No Problem! Simply add a bit of decent sherry (none of that “cooking” stuff) and a dash or three of your fave hot sauce, to taste.
**Like canned fried onions.
Drain the pineapple chunks well and chop.
Cut the lime in half, cutting one half into wedges and juicing the other half.
Stem and coarsely chop the cilantro.
Combine the sour cream with one teaspoon of the lime juice and the Seasoned Salt and set aside.
Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat.
When hot, add the pork and onion and cook, breaking up the pork, until cooked through and no pink remains; mebbe five minutes.
Stir the cornstarch into the pork and onion mixture until totally blended in, then add the water, Sherry Peppers Sauce, hot sauce, pineapple chunks, and seasonings.
Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until pan juices are evaporated, about five minutes more.
Heat your air fryer to 400º.
Divide the filling evenly between the tortillas and roll tightly, arranging in a single layer, seam side down, on your air fryer rack.
Spray lightly with olive oil.
Note: canned cooking spray can leave a coating on your air fryer rack that is difficult to clean off. I keep a spray bottle filled with olive oil for applying to the rack or food when air frying.
Pop the flautas into the air fryer and cook until browned, six to nine minutes.
Note: I left mine for the full nine minutes, and they were almost too brown, so keep an eye on them.
Turn the flautas over, spray a bit more olive oil over them, and return to the air fryer for another three minutes or so, just until golden brown.
Remove from the air fryer and serve with the lime and sour cream mixture. Top with the crispy jalapeño pieces, scallions, and cilantro (and parsley).
Squeeze a lime wedge over the top and enjoy!