Pork Carnitas

Growing up, my parents made Chinese food at least 90% of the time. So you would think my blog would be mostly Chinese food recipes. Nope. Once I moved out and was left to cook on my own I enjoyed trying all sorts of new food types and trying new recipes. If you ask my kids, they will tell you I can eat Mexican food everyday of the week. It’s true. Pork carnitas is one recipe I love as it is not particularly hard to make. And if you get a large pork shoulder, it makes enough for a crowd or you have leftovers for days. This recipe makes at least 12 servings!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3-4 pounds pork shoulder
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 1 bulb garlic, crushed
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 cups low sodium chicken broth

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Season the pork shoulder with salt, then arrange the pork in the Dutch oven. Cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the onion, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Pour in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and continue to simmer until pork is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Transfer the pork shoulder to a large baking sheet, reserving the cooking liquid. Drizzle with a small amount of the reserved cooking liquid.
5. Bake the pork in the preheated oven until browned, about 30 minutes. Drizzle more of the cooking liquid on the meat every 10 minutes, and use two forks to shred the meat as it browns. (Keep in mind, the objective of the final step is to get slightly crispy outside with a moist, tender inside.)
6. 
7. Serve the carnitas with warm, fresh tortillas and pico de gallo or whatever you like! I like to make mine into tacos. 

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Mini Key Lime Tarts

I wasn’t going to post this recipe because I totally baked the crust for too long on these when I made them. And I was disappointed and frustrated especially because the  key lime filling turned out so well. I hate when things I make don’t turn out good. But not to fear, I have adjusted the baking time on this recipe for you so your crusts won’t turn into hockey pucks like mine did.

CRUST INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons key lime juice (6-7 key limes)
• zest of 1 key lime
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS FOR CRUST:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees and line a standard 12 cupcake tin with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter.
3. Divide crust evenly amongst the 12 liners, approx. 1 heaping Tbsp in each. Press firmly into the bottom of each liner.
4. Bake for 3-5 minutes. Set aside on cooling rack.

DIRECTIONS FOR FILLING:

1. Preheat oven to 300 F degrees.
2. Prepare a water bath on the stove. (Pot with boiling water.)
3. Once the water is boiling, place eggs, sugar, key lime juice, zest and melted butter into a large bowl and begin whisking.
4. Whisk vigorously over the boiling water bath until thick and light (approx. 5-10mins).  You can also use a hand mixer. The mixture is ready when it’s light, thick (like pudding), and ribbons form when you run your whisk through it.
5. Pour into pre-baked tart crusts and bake for 5 minutes or until set. The center of the pies should jiggle just slightly the pan is nudged.
6. Cool completely on a wire rack, then place in fridge for at least 2 hours.
7. Serve cold, topped with whipped cream and key lime zest.

 

Vietnamese Style Chicken Wings

Yes, once again I’m making chicken wings.  Most the Vietnamese chicken wing recipes I’ve seen call for fish sauce. As my son and I are allergic to most things seafood, I cannot use it as it is too strong.  So, believe it or not, that is why I am using Worcestershire sauce for the unami in this recipe. Thus, the reason why I call it Vietnamese “style.”  These wings are sweet, sticky and a little bit spicy. Good news is this recipe is quite simple, uses only a few ingredients, no oil frying required and done in less than 45 minutes.  For my vegetarian friends, maybe you can substitute fried or pan seared tofu as the sauce itself is quite tasty.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 pounds chicken wings
• kosher salt
• ground black pepper
• garlic powder
• 4 tablespoons sweet soy sauce Kecap Manis
• 2-3 tablespoons Sambal Oelek Chili Paste (start with 2 tablespoons and add more to taste)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• cilantro chopped for garnish
• lime wedges (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 475 F degrees.
2. For easier clean up, cover a baking sheet in foil or use a silicone mat as the sauce becomes quite sticky.
3. Lay out the chicken wings in a single layer in prepared baking pan.
4. Season the chicken wings on both sides using salt, pepper and garlic powder.
5. Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until lightly browned or cooked through.
6. While the chicken wings bake, prepare the sauce.
7. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the sweet soy sauce, chili paste and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to mix well.
8. When the chicken is fully cooked, transfer the wings to a large bowl. Add half the sauce and, using tongs, toss to thoroughly coat. Return the wings to the lined sheet pan and arrange in a single, even layer. 
9. Bake for an additional 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned. Remove from the oven. Top with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
10. Optional: Serve with a lime wedge. I like how the lime juice offsets the sweetness of the soy sauce. 

 

Easy Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Okay. I admit it. I am a picky eater. You will not find green bell peppers or yellow onions in my fajitas. I love every type of bell peppers except green. I will always substitute whenever a recipe calls for green bell peppers. As for red onions, they just happen to be my favorite type of onion. I always have them on hand. Don’t get me wrong, I like yellow onions too. But I ALWAYS have red onions. So feel free to substitute your favorite colors of the rainbow for this dish. You can even omit the chicken and use sliced portabella mushrooms and add other vegetables to make a fantastic vegetarian fajita.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large onion sliced
• 1 red bell pepper sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper sliced
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced into strips
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons Mexican seasoning (chili powder, crushed red peppers, cumin, garlic powder, oregano and paprika)
• 1 lime, juiced
• tortillas and your favorite fajita sides for serving
• lime wedges for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.
2. Place onions, peppers and chicken in 9×13 baking pan or dish.
3. Drizzle and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle Mexican seasoning over dish. Top with lime juice. Toss to coat.
4. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway.
5. Serve with tortillas and your favorite fajita sides. Add lime wedge to each plate for garnish and extra lime juice if wanted.

Makes 3-4 servings.

Pulled Pork Tacos with Pineapple Pico De Gallo

Everyday is taco day in my house. But how about a little sweet and spicy kick?  Tex Mex meets Hawaiian and this is the end result. The slow cooker does most of the work, you get all the credit. Can’t beat that!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 pounds pork shoulder
• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice (3 limes)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks or fresh if available
• 1 small white or red onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers (optional)
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 20  small corn tortillas

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a 6 quart slow cooker add pork shoulder.
2. In a large bowl, add barbecue sauce, brown sugar, lime juice (reserve 1 tablespoon for the pineapple pico de gallo), cayenne pepper, chili powder and garlic powder. Mix together to form a paste and spread evenly over pork shoulder.
3. Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours; or you can cook on high for 5 to 6 hours. Shred when done cooking. 
4. When your pork is ready, assemble the pineapple pico de gallo.
5. Slice the pineapple chunks into smaller pieces and place in large bowl. Add the diced onions, jalapeno pepper, tomatoes, cilantro and reserved 1 tablespoon of lime juice. If you can handle the extra heat, add the crushed red peppers to the bowl. 
6. Top your tortillas with pulled pork, pineapple pico de gallo and shredded cabbage.
7. Garnish with lime wedges. 

You can also change this recipe into pulled pork sliders by substituting Hawaiian bread rolls for the corn tortillas. 

Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice

I love a one pot dish. Less mess, less to clean. So keep it simple and stop there I tell myself. But alas, I always have to go an extra step. Why not make an avocado cilantro dressing to garnish this chicken with? You could make a double batch of the dressing and save the extra for your salads. If you are going to give yourself extra things to clean, might as well make it worth your while. Plus you have half an avocado left to use. Just saying….

INGREDIENTS:

• 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken stock (or broth)
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro, reserve a teaspoon for garnish
• juice of 2 limes

DRESSING INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 avocado
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup cilantro leaves and stems
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Be sure to use a covered skillet for this recipe. Melt butter over medium high heat. Once butter is melted, add chicken and cook 2 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Add rice and garlic to skillet and stir for 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant.
3. Add chicken stock, cilantro and lime juice. Stir until combined. 
4. Place chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture. Cover skillet with lid and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 25 minutes until chicken and rice is fully cooked and liquid is absorbed. 
5. While the chicken breasts and rice are cooking, prepare your dressing.
6. Add all dressing ingredients to your food processor or blender. 
7. Pulse until smooth. Add more water or lime juice if needed. 
8. When chicken and rice are ready, drizzle dressing over chicken and sprinkle with reserved cilantro. Dress with sliced limes for more flair.