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    Showing posts with label pork. Show all posts
    Showing posts with label pork. Show all posts

  1. Cinco de Mayo* Flautas

    Monday, May 6, 2013


    *Note: I was going to post this on Sunday but my computer decided to go on the fritz, so I couldn't upload until today. Sorry the recipe is a bit late. :)

    Whenever I make flautas it's to re-use some leftover shredded meat. I've made it with leftover shredded chicken, pork and beef from various recipes. This go-round I made it from leftover Salsa Verde Carnitas. Of  course you could also make the carnitas for the purpose of making flautas. I changed up the recipe a little bit to suit my own taste - and the flautas part is really easy.

    I made a couple filled with queso fresco (as you will see in the pictures) for my daughter because the carnitas were too spicy for her. 


    Flautas 
    (filled with carnitas and cheese)
    makes a lot*
    recipe for the carnitas adapted from here

    - 2-3 lbs pork shoulder
    - 2 cups salsa verde (that's the kind we always use)
    - 1 onion, chopped
    - 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
    - 3 cups chicken stock (or whatever kind you have on hand)
    - 2 tsp cumin seeds
    - 1 tsp fennel seeds
    - 2 tsp ground coriander
    - 1 tsp dried oregano
    - queso fresco
    - corn tortillas
    - frying oil
    - toothpicks
    - toppings (crumbled queso fresco, crema and cilantro)


    Salsa Verde Carnitas
    Trim the excess fat from the pork shoulder roast. Put the roast, salsa verde, onion, garlic, stock, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, coriander, and oregano in a large, thick-bottomed pot over high heat. 
    Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.

    Cover and simmer for about 2 1/2 hours, or until meat pulls away easily with a fork.
    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

    Remove meat from liquid in pot and put meat into a roasting pan lined with aluminum foil. With 2 forks, tear the meat into large shreds. Spread out in an even layer. 
    Roast for 15-20 minutes until the shreds are brown and crispy.

    While the meat is roasting, reduce the liquid remaining in the pot to about half.
    Return the browned meat to the pot with the liquid. Season with salt.

    Flautas
    Pour about  3/4 of an inch of oil into your pan (I use my cast iron pan here) and heat to about 300 degrees. If you don't have a candy thermometer, test the oil by sticking in the handle of a wooden spoon, and if bubbles appear around the spoon the oil is hot enough.

    While the oil is heating, start assembling the the flautas. (If the tortillas are too stiff, microwave them in a stack for about 30 seconds to make them more pliable.) Lay out one tortilla and fill it down the middle with a couple tablespoons worth of carnitas and fold the sides of the tortilla over and secure with a toothpick. Continue assembling flautas until you are out of tortillas or carnitas (I made one package of corn tortillas worth, makes about 15 flautas, with plenty of leftover carnitas for later.)

    Place the filled tortillas in the hot oil and fry on each side for about a minute or until they are crispy and golden. Place the fried flautas on a paper towel lined plate as they finish. 
    Don't forget to remove the toothpicks before you serve them!

    Top with crema, crumbled queso fresco, and chopped cilantro.
    Serve immediately.


    The above picture is of my daughters flautas. They are filled with chunks of queso fresco and topped with crema and more queso fresco. She loves them as you can see below.



    Posted by Katrina at 6:49 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , | 1 comments | |

  2. Honey-Mustard Pork

    Wednesday, January 2, 2013


    The original recipe for this is actually "Honey Baked Chicken", which is equally delicious and I grew up eating that, cooked by my mom. I got the recipe from her a couple years ago and my fiance and I put our own spin on it. My fiance likes to have lots of extra sauce which is what happens when you make it this way. 


    I've taken to writing down recipes in this notebook that I've either adapted from online or from family, or simply made up myself. 



    The crayon artwork is courtesy of Aria, who had gotten a hold of the notebook when I wasn't looking.

    I have fallen in love with this orange blossom honey. I found it at our grocery store and thought I'd try it, as opposed to the regular clover honey. I'm never going back to clover honey. This orange blossom honey has a much lighter, fruitier, floral flavor. Delicious. If any of you get the chance to try some, I highly recommend it.


    Honey-Mustard Pork

    - two to three pounds pork chops, boneless
    - salt and pepper
    - 1/3 cup butter, melted
    - 1/3 cup honey
    - two tablespoons mustard
    - one teaspoon salt
    - one teaspoon curry powder


    Season pork chops with salt and pepper and brown in a hot pan on both sides. Brown in batches, setting browned pork chops on a plate as they are finished.
    While the pork chops are browning combine butter, honey, mustard, salt and curry powder in a bowl and whisk together.
    Once all the chops are browned, put them all back in the pan and pour the honey-mustard sauce over the top. Continue to cook until the pork chops are cooked through.
    Serve with rice.


    We are partial to jasmine rice, which is delicious and I grew up eating it in Cambodia. I make it in our little rice cooker, much easier than making it on the stove top. When you make jasmine rice, just be sure to rinse the rice several times before cooking it so it doesn't get too sticky.




    Enjoy.

    Posted by Katrina at 9:51 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , | 1 comments | |

  3. Eggs and Chorizo Tacos: Two Ways

    Saturday, December 15, 2012

    This is a breakfast we have quite commonly. It's also a very common Mexican breakfast. It's very easy and has inexpensive ingredients. The first way is how I like to make it and the second way is the more traditional route. Traditionally the eggs and chorizo are all mixed together, but I prefer a more pronounced chorizo flavor so I usually cook the eggs and meat separately.



     Eggs and Chorizo Taco

    - El Supremo pork chorizo [I prefer the "original picante" flavor]
    - three to five eggs
    - corn tortillas
    - crema [or sour cream]
    - salsa verde
    - cilantro and/or your favorite veggie toppings






    Method One
    Cook one whole tube of chorizo meat in a pan until thoroughly cooked. Transfer to plate. Using the same pan cook eggs over-easy [or over-medium as I like them], transfer eggs to the same plate as the chorizo.



    Method Two
    Cook the chorizo in the same amount and way as above, but instead of cooking the eggs separately add them to the pan with the chorizo. Stir to well combine and cook until the eggs are done.



    How To Assemble the Tacos
    Whichever way you cook the chorizo and eggs, you assemble the tacos the same way.
    To heat the tortillas, turn on one of your gas burners on medium-low and place the tortilla over the flame flipping once. About ten seconds per side, or until lightly charred. Keep tortillas warm in a clean dishcloth.


    Spread about one tablespoon of crema in the middle of a tortilla, top with egg and chorizo, top that with a teaspoon of salsa verde, and sprinkle on your veggie toppings.
    [See top photo for finished tacos]

    Enjoy.

    Posted by Katrina at 4:09 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 0 comments | |