Mexican-Spiced Pork

Remove the honey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Place an oven rack in the center of the oven, then preheat to 450°F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season on all sides with salt, pepper, and half the spice blend. Rub the seasonings onto the pork. Transfer to the sheet pan. Roast, flipping halfway through, 25 to 27 minutes, or until cooked through. (An instant-read thermometer should register 145°F.) Transfer to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes.

While the pork roasts, wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Remove and discard the stems of the collard greens; thinly slice the leaves. Crumble the queso blanco. Peel and medium dice the orange. Roughly chop the pepper. Thoroughly wash your hands, knife, and cutting board immediately after handling the pepper.

While the pork continues to roast, in a medium pot, combine the rice, sliced white bottoms of the scallions, honey (kneading the packet before opening), remaining spice blend, a big pinch of salt, and 1 cup of water. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, place the sliced collard greens on top of the rice. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook, without stirring, 19 to 21 minutes, or until the collard greens are wilted, the water has been absorbed, and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and add the crumbled queso blanco and half the vinegar; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the rice and collard greens cook, in a bowl, combine the diced orange, sliced green tops of the scallions, remaining vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil, and as much of the chopped pepper as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Find the lines of muscle (or grain) on the rested pork; thinly slice crosswise against the grain. Serve the sliced pork with the collard green rice. Top the pork with the salsa and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!