Simple Carnita Recipe and Chimichanga Recipe

Carnitas

Carnitas (little meats)

Pork roast
2 cans or 1 bottle (10 to 12 ounces) salsa verde (green tomatillo based salsa)
1/2 large onion chopped
Garlic
Salt and pepper
Aluminum foil
Baking dish

Preheat oven to 300

Rub roast generously with galic, then salt and pepper to taste. Place in baking dish.  Cover roast with chopped onion and salsa verde.  Cover dish loosely with aluminum foil and cook for 4 to 4 1/2 hours.  Remove dish and uncover.  The original instructions said to let cool and remove roast from pan to cutting board, then remove and throw away fat and skim fat off juices in pan.  Then use 2 forks to break meat up and return to dish where you mix it back with the juices and mix well.  When I poked mine with a fork it fell apart in the pan, so I just used a fork to pick out the fat.  Mix it up well with the juices, spead it in the pan and return to the oven for about 20 minutes.  You want the meat crispy on top, then flip the meat and return to the oven for about another 20 minutes.  I use medium salsa verde in a jar, I think salsa verde has more bite than tomato based salsa.  This gave the meat a little bit of heat but it was the most flavorful pork roast I ever ate.  You can just eat it like a roast, use on a sandwich, mix in an omlet, use as burrito, taco, tamale or enchilada filling.

Chimichanga

Chimichanga

 filling

I have used this with chicken and beef.  It works best with beef, but the chicken is good too.





Chuck roast cubed or stew beef or boneless chicken breast or tenders cubed.

2 or 3 ripe tomatoes cubed or a can of diced tomatoes

1 bell pepper chopped

1 medium to large onion chopped

1 jalapenos chili deveined and seeded, chopped

(if you want less heat substitute a polbano, ancho, Sonora or New Mexico chilis, or no chilis, if you want more go with chipotle(jalapenos roasted then packed in adobo sauce), cayenne, or habanero.)  You can also just roast the chilis  before chopping or add cumin or red pepper to add more heat.  Roasting or using chipotle will add a smoky flavor also.

Salt and pepper

Can of broth either beef or chicken (which ever matches the meat).

4 to 5 cloves of garlic chopped

Optional:

Tablespoon cilantro and or tablespoon of Mexican oregano



Basically heat the broth in a large pot, add the meat, tomatoes, onion pepper, galic and chilis.  Salt and pepper and let cook.  You want to cook this until as much of the liquid is gone as possible without burning.  Then place the mixture in large tortillas, flour or wheat unless you have developed a taste for the corn ones.  Fold and either fry, deep fry or bake in oven.  Baking is easier, has less fat, makes the least mess, but is less crunchy.  Serve with refried beans, a fresh salsa, ect.



You will have to experiment with the chilis to find what you like.

Sweet Potato Latkes

Sweet Latkes

2 cups peeled shredded beets (about 3 beets)

1 cup peeled shredded carrot (about 1 average carrot)

1 cup peeled shredded sweet potato (about 1 average sweet potato)

¼ cup shallot finely chopped (I've used onion and left out entirely also)

½ cup all purpose flour

¼ cup corn starch

½ tsp salt

several dashes black pepper

1 tsp fennel seeds chopped (I've left out often)

¼ cup water

olive oil for pan frying

Combine veggies in a large mixing bowl, add shallot, flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper and fennel seeds. Mix until the veggies are coated in flour, (I have found that the beets can add a lot of liquid, so draining them before adding the dry ingredients is not a bad idea). Add water and mix again until the flour is dissolved. (I add the water a bit at a time).

Preheat a heavy bottom non-stick skillet or a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add a layer of oil about ¼ inch deep and heat for a couple of minutes. Form the mixture into balls about the diameter of a quarter, then flatten to about 1 ½ inch patties. Fry in batches, about 5 minutes on the first side, flip and flatten slightly and fry 3 to 4 more minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve quickly for best flavor. Makes about 2 dozen cakes.

I play with this a lot, even have left out the beets. Not as sweet, but less messy and still yummy. Getting a good crust on the outside is best. Watch out for over heating the pan though.