Pork Carnitas

Level: Easy
Total: 1 hr 25 min (includes resting time)
Active: 40 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• One 3-pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes 
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 2 medium yellow onions, halved and sliced 
• 2 poblano peppers, seeded and ribs removed, sliced 
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano 
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin 
• 2 teaspoons ancho chile powder 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• One 12-ounce can lemon-lime soda 
• 1 large orange, zested and juiced 

Serving Suggestions:
Warm corn or flour tortillas

Directions
Special equipment: a multi-cooker (Instapot)

1. Set a multi-cooker to the Saute setting and add the oil.
2. Sprinkle the cubed pork generously with salt and pepper. Sear the pork in batches on all sides until well browned. Remove to a plate, add the onions and poblanos and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the oregano, cumin, chile powder and garlic and continue to cook for an additional minute.
3. Add the lemon-lime soda and orange zest and juice. Return the pork pieces and any liquid that is on the plate to the multi-cooker. Cover and position the vent to the Sealing setting. Set the multi-cooker for High Pressure, use the Manual button to adjust the cook time to 25 minutes and cook. When the time is up, allow the multi-cooker to sit for an additional 10 minutes.
4. Preheat the broiler.
5. Carefully release the remaining pressure by switching the vent to Venting. Let the steam vent until the float valve has dropped, then remove the lid. Remove the pork mixture with a slotted spoon to a baking sheet and shred the pork with 2 forks.
6. Place the baking sheet under the broiler and crisp the carnitas for 2 to 3 minutes. (Watch carefully to prevent burning.) Remove from the oven, ladle some of the juices from the pot over the carnitas and carefully toss. Serve alongside the warm tortillas with peach salsa, Easy Queso and fresh cilantro leaves.

Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs

Prep: 10 m
Cook: 4 h 10 m
Ready In: 4 h 20 m

Ingredients:
3 lbs baby back ribs, trimmed
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup water
 ½ onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (18 ounce) bottle barbecue sauce

Directions:
Season ribs with salt and pepper.
Pour water into slow cooker. Layer the ribs into the slow cooker. Top the ribs with onion and garlic.
Cook on High for 4 hours (or Low for 8 hours).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Transfer ribs to a baking sheet. Discard onion and garlic. Coat ribs with barbecue sauce.
Bake in preheated oven until the sauce caramelizes and sticks to the meat, 10 to 15 minutes.

Chile Verde

4 lb pork roast.
Boil 3-4 hours - cool & dice.
Place cooked diced pork in a little oil in fry pan.
Season w/salt & pepper.

Add 2-3 cans of diced green chilies.
oregano
cumin
Add 2-3 cans of water
Add 2 jalapeno peppers
Simmer for a few minutes
Thicken w/flour & water.
onion salt
cilantro
garlic
pepper
chicken bouillon

Marie's Chili

Ingredients

• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 28oz cans stewed tomatoes, crushed
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2-3 jalapeños diced
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 4 15oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 5 pork chops (~2 lbs)

Directions

Cube and fry pork chops in garlic with olive oil until brownish. Add remaining ingredients into a big pot with kidney beans. Let simmer for a couple hours.

Tamales

Mole

Pork tenderloin

Olive oil

Salt, pepper, garlic salt

170 degrees

75% California chili powder

25% New Mexico chili powder

Toast flour

1:1 flour

Toast flour/chili combo

Add roast drippings

Stir, add water, repeat

Add "Better Than Bouillon" (chicken & pork) to water

Bring to a boil

Add meat

Stir, add water, repeat

Bring to a boil

Lower to a simmer, stir occasionally

Simmer for hours

Cornmeal

Basically to recipe

Soak in water for 30 min

Heat water with bouillon

Add light olive oil (1 tbsp for 2 cups) - may use bacon grease

Bring to boil

Add cornmeal

Stir to cook evenly

Will thicken

Stuffed Spareribs

From Cook's Country | February/March 2014

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
We’re used to barbecuing ribs here in the test kitchen, but in some circles, stuffing them like a Thanksgiving turkey is just as popular. We chose St. Louis spareribs for their more manageable size and kept the flavors simple with a rub of salt, pepper, and brown sugar. As for the stuffing,… read more

SERVES 6 TO 8

Try to buy racks of ribs of equal size for this recipe, and make sure they’re St. Louis–style. If any stuffing falls onto the baking sheet as you tie the racks together or flip them during cooking, stuff the filling back inside the bundle.

INGREDIENTS

10 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 cup pitted prunes, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground fennel
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) racks St. Louis-style spareribs, trimmed and membrane removed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325°. Pulse half of bread, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in food processor until finely ground, 10 to 15 pulses. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining bread, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and add to sheet. Bake crumbs until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through baking. Transfer to large bowl; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add apples, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook until apples are soft and onion is translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Add prunes, sage, garlic, and fennel and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir apple mixture into bread crumbs until well combined.

3. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Combine sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper in bowl. Pat ribs dry with paper towels and rub all over with sugar mixture. Lay five 20-inch-long pieces of kitchen twine about 3 inches apart crosswise on prepared sheet. Lay 1 rib rack, meat side down, across twine. Place stuffing mixture on top of rack and pack to uniform thickness. Place remaining rib rack, meat side up, on top of stuffing, arranging wider end of rack over tapered end of bottom rack to sandwich stuffing. Tie racks together and trim excess twine.

4. Roast ribs until tender and well browned, about 3 hours, flipping bundle halfway through roasting. Transfer ribs to carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Cut ribs between bones, creating individual stuffed rib portions; discard twine. (Alternatively, discard twine and remove top rack of ribs. Transfer stuffing to platter. Cut ribs in between bones to separate and transfer to platter with stuffing.) Serve.

STUFFED SPARERIBS? REALLY?

It sounds like an awkward operation, but our technique makes it easy:

1. We use two racks of St. Louis–style spareribs, with bone sides facing each other.
2. Racks are positioned wide end to tapered end.
3. Bread and fruit stuffing is sandwiched between racks.
4. Pieces of twine are placed about 3 inches apart and tied securely.