Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Pork Carnitas with Avocado, Orange, and Chipotle Crema

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Serves: 8-10

Ingredients
  • 8 pork chops (about 1 1/4-inch thick, bone in or a 2 lb boneless pork shoulder)
  • 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning or dried oregano
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1, 10 oz (283 gram) tin of Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Lime and Cilantro or 1 1/4 cups salsa
  • 2 heaping tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt1 thinly sliced purple onion
  • Soft taco size (6 inch) corn or flour tortillas
Directions
  1. Prepare your slow cooker with cooking spray or oil. Place the pork chops into the slow cooker
  2. Mix the chipotle, oregano, garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, orange juice, and salt together and pour over the pork
  3. Cook on low setting for 8 hours.
  4. Remove from the slow cooker and shred. 
  5. Add a cup of the broth from the slow cooker to the shredded pork and toss so that it covers all the meat.
  6. Place the shredded pork onto a 17 inch baking sheet. Place your oven rack the second from the top and broil the pork until one side is golden brown and crispy (about 2 minutes)
Avocado, Chipotle, and Orange Crema
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 ripe avocado, cubed
  • 1 heaping tbsp orange juice concentrate
  • 1 chile from a 7 oz. can chipotle in adobo sauce (if you like less heat, start with a tbsp of the chipotle pepper and keep adding until it tastes right for you)
  • pinch of salt
Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Refrigerate until served.

This dish is great for parties and casual dining. Serve the pork, onions, sauce, and tortillas family style and invite people to help themselves.