Beer Braised Carnitas Tacos

Doesn’t this look like the perfect spring lunch? Or late Sunday afternoon meal? I’m so excited to try it this weekend. Via honeycombfood.blogspot.com

Ingredients
1½-2 pounds boneless country style pork ribs
¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 Tbs. lime juice
1 clove minced garlic
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. salt
8 oz. beer
water
8 corn tortillas

toppings:
pickled red cabbage (I used Farmstead Ferments)
sour cream
tomatoes, chopped
avocado slices
queso fresco
anything else you’d like (roasted corn, cilantro, tomatillo salsa, etc)

Cut the meat into 2-inch cubes. Throw them into a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven. Add the orange and lime juices, garlic, cumin, salt, and beer and mix to combine. Then add enough water so that it just covers the meat. Bring the pot to the stove and bring the contents to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the meat cook away for about 1½ to 2 hours without touching the meat but skim away some of the foam residue that gathers on top. If the liquid seems to be evaporating very quickly, add a little more water until the cooking time has reached at least 1½ hours.

Once the liquid has evaporated and you are left with just the fat at the bottom of the pan, turn the heat up to medium and let the pork cook in the fat for around twenty minutes. Stir the meat gently every so often to let it crisp evenly on all sides. Once it is all nicely browned, transfer the meat to a serving dish.

To serve, warm the tortillas by placing them on a dry, screaming hot frying pan for about 30 seconds per side. Place some meat inside the tortillas and add the toppings of your choice.

Pork Carnitas

I’m updating my fall recipe rotation & am definitely adding Pork Carnitas. This recipe looks amazing and I hope to try it on Sunday evening! (I think it is a great Sunday football dinner idea!)

Ingredients
5 lbs Boneless pork shoulder (or country-style ribs)
32 oz Chicken stock (I used boxed from Costco)
2 cans (15 oz) Mild enchilada sauce (I used Las Palmas)
2 large Yellow sweet onions, peeled and quartered
6 cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped rough
1 packet McCormick Grill Mates Mexican Fiesta marinade mix
1 packet McCormick Grill Mates Baja Citrus marinade mix
1 packet McCormick Grill Mates Backyard Brew marinade mix
1 cup Cilantro, chopped rough (optional)
3/4 cup Canola oil
1/3 cup Apple cider vinegar
2 tsp Smoked paprika

Method
Cut the pork into 2-inch cubes, removing any heavy fat.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the marinade mixes, oil, vinegar, and paprika, and whisk to combine. Add the pork, toss to coat well, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.

In a large heavy pot (preferably an enameled cast iron dutch oven), combine the chicken stock, one can of the enchilada sauce, onion, garlic, and cilantro if you want it (I left it out because we’re cilantro-senstive). Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Gently add the pork and the marinade to the simmering liquid, cover, and bring back to a light simmer.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer until the pork is fork-tender, about three hours.

Heat your oven to broil.

Using a Chinese wire strainer or slotted spoon, remove the pork and onions to a large roasting pan. Spread the meat evenly throughout the pan, breaking the pieces of meat in half into smaller one-inch chunks.

Drizzle the pork with the second can of enchilada sauce, and put it in your oven so that the the pork is about six inches from the broiler.

Note: I used a disposable foil pan so for ease of clean-up for the family I was serving.

Paying close attention, cook the pork under the broiler until the outside just starts to brown and crisp, about five minutes.

Serve with warm corn tortillas, fresh pico de gallo, and your favorite refried beans. I served my Funky Refried Beans.

Burrito Bowls

my husband is obsessed with Chipotle’s burrito bowls. i thought it might be fun to make our own version this weekend. i was inspired by these delicious bowls by inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com.

she used:
-cooked brown rice
-black beans
-pepper jack cheese
-avocado
-salsa
-sour cream
-tortilla chips

i am thinking of adding fresh tomatoes, sharp cheddar, shredded lettuce, HOT sauce, possibly some carne or shredded pork, and mixing the rice with some fresh cilantro. what would you add?