Garlic and Jalapeno Carnitas Tacos

It has been touched on before in the blog. These webpages have been scrawled with tales of the days of ole when I was a super picky eater.

Seriously, Diet Coke, Caesar salad and cheesecake were my three food groups.

I’ve always loved Mexican food, but until I was in high school I would eat nothing but crispy shredded beef tacos. Not chicken. Not ground beef. Not soft. Crispy. Beef. Tacos.

And there is still a beautiful place in my heart for my old favorite.

But these days, I find myself craving pork carnitas more and more.

I finally decided it was time to get in the kitchen and try my hand at this tasty shredded pork treat.

Mexican places are great, but they ain’t got nothing on my carnitas.

You will need…

3 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder (pork butt)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder

20 unpeeled garlic cloves

3 jalapenos, seeded and diced

½ cup chicken stock

½ cup fresh orange juice

Salt and pepper to taste

8 tortillas, warmed on the stove or grill

1 cup pineapple, diced

Your choice of toppings (shredded jack cheese, diced tomato, diced onion, cilantro, avocado)

Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees.

In a roasting pan, rub the pork down with the oil and chile powder. 

Season with salt and pepper and fill the bottom of the roasting pan with the chicken stock and roast for 1 hour.

After the hour, scatter the pork with the garlic and jalapeno and bake for another 2 hours. Rotating once.

Up the oven to 375 degrees F.

Chop the pork into large chunks and then use 2 forks to pull apart the pork.

Add the shredded pork back into the roasting pan. Remove the peals from the garlic and add it back to the pan.

Roast for another 30 minutes until well browned and crisp.

Stir the pork and continue to roast for a final 30 minutes.

Pour the drippings from the pork to a medium saucepan and add in the orange juice.

Bring the juices to a simmer over medium heat until slightly reduced. About 4 minutes.

Drizzle over the pork and serve with pineapple, & your favorite toppings on a warmed tortilla.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Garlic and Jalapeno Carnitas Tacos

3 ½ pounds boneless pork shoulder (pork butt)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder

20 unpeeled garlic cloves

3 jalapenos, seeded and diced

½ cup chicken stock

½ cup fresh orange juice

Salt and pepper to taste

8 tortillas, warmed on the stove or grill

1 cup pineapple, diced

Your choice of toppings (shredded jack cheese, diced tomato, diced onion, cilantro, avocado)

Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees.

In a roasting pan, rub the pork down with the oil and chile powder.

Season with salt and pepper and fill the bottom of the roasting pan with the chicken stock and roast for 1 hour.

After the hour, scatter the pork with the garlic and jalapeno and bake for another 2 hours. Rotating once.

Up the oven to 375 degrees F.

Chop the pork into large chunks and then use 2 forks to pull apart the pork.

Add the shredded pork back into the roasting pan. Remove the peals from the garlic and add it back to the pan.

Roast for another 30 minutes until well browned and crisp.

Stir the pork and continue to roast for a final 30 minutes.

Pour the drippings from the pork to a medium saucepan and add in the orange juice.

Bring the juices to a simmer over medium heat until slightly reduced. About 4 minutes.

Drizzle over the pork and serve with pineapple, & your favorite toppings on a warmed tortilla. 

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Jalapeno Pineapple Chutney

It is Friday night. And the mood is right.

Right for a hot date with my man.

So I’m going to waste no time babbling on about this recipe. It’s good. Make it. For yourself, your friends, your family, or your sweetie.

Just make it.

I have to go get pretty. And that my friends, is way WAY harder than this dinner dish.  

You will need…

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large pork tenderloin (or 1 and ½ medium sized)

2 cups jalapeno pineapple chutney, hot

Salt and pepper to taste.

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the pork well with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large sauté pan.

When the oil is really hot, add the pork to the pan. Sear the pork on all sides until it is browned on all sides.

Place the pan in the oven (make sure it is oven safe) and cook it for about 13 minutes for medium rare.

Remove the pork form the pan and cover it with aluminum foil.

Let the pork rest for 10 minutes.

Slice the pork into pieces about ¾ of on inch thick.

Top with hot chutney and serve.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Jalapeno Pineapple Chutney

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large pork tenderloin (or 1 and ½ medium sized)

2 cups jalapeno pineapple chutney, hot

Salt and pepper to taste.

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the pork well with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large sauté pan.

When the oil is really hot, add the pork to the pan. Sear the pork on all sides until it is browned on all sides.

Place the pan in the oven (make sure it is oven safe) and cook it for about 13 minutes for medium rare.

Remove the pork form the pan and cover it with aluminum foil.

Let the pork rest for 10 minutes.

Slice the pork into pieces about ¾ of on inch thick.

Top with hot chutney and serve. 

Jalapeno Pineapple Chutney

What is green and yellow, got served with pork on Sunday and is so good it deserved its own post?

If you guessed a member of the Green Bay Packers 2011 offensive line, close but no cigar.

That was my ATTEMPT at a football joke. I’ll leave it at that.

Duh. This chutney.

I was going to talk about it and the pork I made for the family on Sunday, but I decided that this little guy stands on his own two sweet and spicy feet.

This chutney would be great with snacks like chips and crackers or perfect with a protein like fish or chicken.

It dresses up any basic dish in a hurry. Which is exactly what I needed since the Grammy awards were on.

You will need…

1 medium onion, diced

2 tablespoons ginger, minced

6 jalapenos, diced

1 tablespoon dried cumin

½ cup dark rum

1 pineapple, diced

½ cup fresh lime juice

½ cup raw sugar

¼ cup cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Note that when you are dicing your jalapenos is when you get to decide how spicy you would like your chutney.

If you want to burn your little taste buds (which I don’t understand but some people apparently enjoy) leave the seeds in.

But, if like me you like just a mild heat, scrape off the seeds before dicing.

Whatever you don’t touch your eyes unless you have washed your hands. I learned that one the hard way.

In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onions, ginger, jalapenos and cumin for about 6 minutes.

When the onions and jalapenos have cooked down, add in the rum and cook until it is almost completely evaporated.

Then, add in the pineapple, lime juice and the sugar and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Let the mixture simmer for a couple of minutes.

Remove it from the heat, add the cilantro and season with salt and pepper.

 

Serve it hot with a protein or cold with chips.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Jalapeno Pineapple Chutney

1 medium onion, diced

2 tablespoons ginger, minced

6 jalapenos, diced

1 tablespoon dried cumin

½ cup rum

1 pineapple, diced

½ cup fresh lime juice

½ cup raw sugar

¼ cup cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onions, ginger, jalapenos and cumin for about 6 minutes.

Note that when you are dicing your jalapenos is when you get to decide how spicy you would like your chutney.

If you want to burn your little taste buds (which I don’t understand but some people apparently enjoy) leave the seeds in.

But, if like me you like just a mild heat, scrape off the seeds before dicing.

Whatever you don’t touch your eyes unless you have washed your hands. I learned that one the hard way.

When the onions and jalapenos have cooked down, add in the rum and cook until it is almost completely evaporated.

Then, add in the pineapple, lime juice and the sugar and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Let the mixture simmer for a couple of minutes.

Remove it from the heat, add the cilantro and season with salt and pepper.

Serve it hot with a protein or cold with chips.