I don’t know about you, but I reckon that pineapple has to be one of the most summer-perfect fruits in God’s green earth. And of course it is. Pineapple being what it is, refreshing and sweet but at the same time ideal for savory, sweet and sour dishes. Just like these tantalizing Stuffed Pineapple, Four Ways recipes. You have three savory Stuffed Pineapple recipes to pick from. Although, honestly, they are so easy you can make them all for a summer party.
And yes, we have sweet Stuffed Pineapple also for dessert! How could we not?
I think you will enjoy these recipes, not to mention that you will be wowed by the visual appeal factor of the stuffed fruit, so regal crown and all, and beautiful to behold. They will surely turn you into an Instagram rock star if you are into that kind of thing.
Me? Yes, as a blogger I have to be always layout, color and lighting-aware to come up with the most mouthwatering pictures. However, on an every day basis, I just can’t wait to “attack” when food is presented beautifully. It’s like I have to make sure it is as good as it looks.
Here are the Recipes. Drum Roll, please!
Anyway, I want you to know that we have done this before. So make sure to check out also our Chipotle BBQ Stuffed Pineapple recipe, since it turned out so good! This swineapple received a lot of attention here. It is worth revisiting!
As always, I try to give you good reasons to prepare the recipes I post. I strive to make Mexican food uncomplicated, with ingredients as easy to get as possible, both in terms of availability and price. But health benefits are also of capital importance, so read here on all the good stuff that comes from eating pineapple. They are nothing to sneeze at! As if flavor isn’t enough, it is loaded with vitamins and minerals as well!
Pastor-Stuffed Pineapple
For this one, we just need to revisit an old post. Prepare the pork meat as per this recipe. You can use chicken instead of pork, if you’d prefer. Tacos al Pastor are one of the most legendary versions of tacos in Mexico and worldwide. Traditional fixings include pineapple tidbits so, hello!!! Pastor-Stuffed Pineapple? A match made in heaven!
Pastor-Stuffed Pineapple
Ingredients
- 1 pineapple scrubbed, cut in half lengthwise all the way to the crown.
- 2 lbs. fresh pork shoulder cut bite-size, or
- 2 lbs. fresh chicken, cut bite-size
- 6 pods dried Guajillo chiles soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, stems, veins and seeds removed
- 2 pods dried Pasilla or Ancho chiles soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, stems, veins and seeds removed (wear gloves)
- 1-2 units canned chipotle chiles veins and seeds removed (wear gloves). See notes.
- 1/4 bar Annatto (Achiote) paste buy at Mexican/Latin food stores or at amazon.com. This ingredient is very important to achieve the traditional Pastor flavor, so don't skip it.
- 4 whole cloves (spice)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin (optional)
- 4 large cloves garlic
- 1 small unit white onion
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- the flesh of the pineapple carefully scooped out, trying not to tear the outer peel. Remove the hard center portions and cut into bite-size cubes.
- salt and pepper to taste
- For garnish:
- pineapple, chopped white onion and cilantro
- warm soft corn tortillas and your favorite salsa
Instructions
- Scrub the pineapple. Cut in half lengthwise all the way to the crown. Carefully scoop the flesh out trying not to tear the peel. Cut flesh in cubes, discarding center core. Reserve.
- Make the pastor meat:Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Turn off heat and soak the trimmed, dried chiles until they rehydrate, 10 minutes. Remove chiles from the hot water and place them into the blender together with chipotles, Annatto paste, cloves, oregano, thyme, garlic cloves, onion, pineapple juice, vinegar and half the scooped pineapple flesh. Add some of the dried chiles soaking water and process until smooth.
- Place the pork meat or chicken in a resealable bag, add the marinade passing it through a strainer and reseal the bag. Marinate the meat in the fridge for at least two hours
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the meat in a little olive oil, stirring often until fully cooked and slightly browned, 10 – 15 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, fill the hollowed pineapple halves with the hot Pastor meat or chicken, top with the remaining pineapple, the chopped onion and the cilantro. Enjoy in warm soft corn tortilla tacos and your favorite salsa.
Notes
Chipotle Dip-Stuffed Pineapple
Dip lovers of the world, unite! There is something sweet, something spicy in this one, all harmoniously combined for amazing results! The reason this recipe calls for canned pineapple is to prevent the Media Crema, Half and Half or Table Cream from curdling. Reserve the pineapple flesh you scooped out for a different use.
Chipotle Dip-Stuffed Pineapple
Ingredients
- 3 – 4 units canned chipotles seeds and veins removed (wear gloves)
- 4 – 5 slices canned pineapple
- 2 cans Media Cream, or
- 2 cups Half and Half, or
- 2 cups Table cream
- 1 cup Cottage cheese
- some whole milk if necessary, for thinning out the dip
- 2 cubes chicken bouillon or to taste
- 1 small or baby pineapple well-scrubbed, cut in half lengthwise all the way to the green crown and carefully hollowed out, so as not to tear the peel.
- breaded mozzarella sticks, or prepared according to package instructions.
- Mozzarella bites, or prepared according to package instructions.
- pita chips
- chopped cilantro or parsley for garnishing
Instructions
- Pat dry the hollowed-out pineapple halves with paper kitchen towels. Blend the first six ingredients until smooth to desired dip thickness. Pour into prepared hollowed-out pineapple halves. Garnish with the chopped cilantro or parsley.
- Prepare the breaded mozzarella sticks or bites as per package instructions or use Pita chips instead.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Shrimp and Pink Sauce-Stuffed Pineapple
We can’t just leave seafood behind! This is a dish equal parts elegant and flavorful. You can serve it any time. Make the pink sauce as spicy as you want. I am adding extra hot sauce to mine.
Shrimp and Pink Sauce-Stuffed Pineapple
Ingredients
- 1 unit pineapple well-scrubbed, cut lengthwise, including the crown, flesh carefully scooped out trying not to tear peel; core discarded and flesh cut into bite-size cubes.
- 1.5 lbs uncooked, large shrimp peeled, tail-off, deveined and each cut into 3 or 4 pieces; leave 4 whole, tails-on to garnish the pineapples.
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- For the Pink Sauce:
- 1 cup Mayonaisse
- 1/4 cup Ketchup
- 1 tsp Mustard
- 1/2 unit orange, or the juice and zest
- 1 unit large lemon the juice and zest
- 2 tbsp Brandy, vodka or whisky or to taste
- 3 drops Worcestershire sauce
- 3 drops Tabasco sauce or to taste.
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Salt and pepper the shrimp. In a large skillet, heat some olive oil and thoroughly cook the shrimp pieces until pink and opaque. Reserve any juices released by the cooking. Cool down.
- In a large bowl, mix the cooked shrimp, the pan drippings, the pineapple cubes and the lettuce. Add the pink sauce (recipe follows). Mix well. Stuff the pineapple halves.
- Cook the 4 whole shrimps and garnish the pineapple halves with 2 shrimps each.
- For the Pink Sauce:
- In a bowl mix mayo, ketchup and mustard until fully integrated. Add orange or lemon juice and zest, brandy, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces and salt. Mix well and keep refrigerated.
Notes
Cheese Cream-Stuffed Pineapple
Cream cheese, unflavored gelatine and whipped cream, the star ingredients of our Cheese Cream, make for a light and fluffy filling in this decadent dessert. You will want to save this Cheese Cream recipe to use it in a wide variety of desserts, as cake frosting or even to eat as is. It is that good!
Cheese Cream-Stuffed Pineapple
Ingredients
- 1 unit whole pineapple well-scrubbed, cut in half lengthwise, all the way to the green crown and hollowed-out, discarding the center core. Cut the flesh into bite-size pieces.
- 2 tbsp brown sugar heaping
- 2 cups Cheese Cream (recipe follows)
- lemon zest, for garnish
- For the Cheese Cream:
- 1 – .25 oz envelope unflavored gelatine
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream very cold
- 1 – 8 oz package cream cheese softened
- 2 – 3 tbsp granulated sugar or to taste
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cut the pineapple flesh into bite-size pieces.
- Pat dry the inside of the hollowed-out pineapple halves with kitchen paper towels.
- Preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit.
- Place the pineapple flesh in a baking dish and sprinkle it with the brown sugar. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 15 – 20 minutes, depending on your oven, until just brown and caramelized; keep and eye on it and don't let it burn. Take the baking dish out of the oven and let the baked pineapple cool down.
- Divide the baked pineapple flesh into 6 equal parts; 4 of them go to layering the pineapple filling and the other 2 parts are used to garnish the top of your two pineapple halves. It is not much flesh, but the flavor goes a long way. Divide (you can do it visually in a measuring cup) the Cheese Cream (recipe follows) into 4 equal portions (1/2 cup each). Place a layer of caramelized pineapple at the bottom of the pineapple halves. Pipe a 1/2 cup layer of Cheese Cream on top of it. Layer some more baked pineapple and top each half piping the remaining Cheese Cream. Garnish each half with zest and the remaining baked pineapple pieces. Serve and enjoy.
- For the Cheese Cream:
- Evenly sprinkle unflavored gelatine over the cold water and let it hydrate.
- In a large bowl, whip the cold whipping cream, just until it starts thickening (when you see "treadmarks" or "waves" on the whipped cream, it's ready). Reserve.
- In another bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, the sugar and the vanilla until fully integrated.
- Microwave the hydrated gelatine for 10 – 15 seconds; stir until completely dissolved and let it cool down a bit. Add it to the cheese mixture and stir, fully integrating the gelatine to the rest of the ingredients. Finally, add the whipped cream to the cheese and gelatine bowl and mix on the lowest setting, just until everything is fully integrated.
- Place in a piping bag. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Until next time, guys. I hope you enjoy making these recipes as much as you will enjoy eating them. I am not leaving before sharing with you some Mexican food humor!
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