Carnitas Street Tacos

I absolutely love carnitas - in tacos or burritos. They are roasted pulled pork refried to slight crispiness. I always keep roasted pulled pork in my freezer to have on hand for recipes like this.

1/2 lb shredded cooked pork butt (see note below)

1 Tbsp southwesters seasoning or chili powder

6 flour tortillas ‘street-size’ (5-inch diameter)

pickled red onions

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 cup fresh salsa

palmful fresh cilantro, minced

1 lime, cut in wedges

Sauté the pork is a dash of olive oil and the seasoning in a skillet until slightly browned and crispy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Char the tortillas slightly holding them with tongs over a gas stove or lying on a gas grill. Careful! This happens quickly and requires a lot of attention. Lay the tortillas in a taco rack. Fill halfway with pork. Then top will onions, cheese, salsa and cilantro. Garnish with lime wedges.

Serves 2.

Cook’s Notes: I always have frozen pulled pork in my freezer. A few times a year I roast a whole pork butt (bone-in, typically). First I brown it on all sides in a very large Dutch oven in olive oil. I then season with salt and pepper and a generous amount of southwestern seasoning. I then pour over about a cup of orange juice and roast in a 325F oven for several hours, until the pork is completely cooked through, and pulls apart with a fork. You can also do this in a slow cooker for about 8-10 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high.

I store the pulled pork in a freezer bag about a pound at a time. I use this for stir fries, tacos and soups and stews, or with eggs on a Sunday morning. A must-have staple in your freezer.

Comments

Umami Beef Short Ribs Samin Nosrat

This is the penultimate prep for beef short ribs. Based on the superb documentary by Samin Nosrat, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, this is the most umami rib dish you will ever have. Its the combination of red miso and soy sauce that marinates and flavors the beef - give it a long time to work right - that means overnight in the fridge; it's worth the planning ahead. 6 beef short ribs on the bone, about 3-4 lb 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 1 jalapeño pepper, minced 4 cloves garlic, halved Marinade: 1/4 cup red miso 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup pale dry sherry or Mirin rice wine 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp honey 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt the ribs generously with coarse salt and let rest overnight in the refrigerator in a resealable plastic bag. Whisk together the marinade. Pour into the plastic bag and allow to marinate on the counter for about 2-3 hours, or again overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat...

Chicken Piccata over Squid Ink Pasta

Serve this delicious lemony piccata over your favorite pasta. 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2-inch thick cutlets 1/4 cup flour 1 lemon sliced and de-seeded 2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp capers 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup dry white wine crushed red pepper flakes, to taste 8 oz squid ink pasta fresh parsley for garnish Melt butter in the oil in a skillet. Fry the lemon slices for a few minutes, just until beginning to brown. Set aside on a plate. Lightly salt and pepper each chicken breast. Dredge the chicken in the flour and brown the first side of each in the butter mixture in the skillet. Flip to brown second side. Cook over low heat for a total of about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of well-salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook until just al dente. Remove chicken to a plate when cooked through. Add capers and garlic to skillet a...

Vinaigrette Erique 2.0

From the archives: Making a really, really good vinaigrette has been a craft in my family, and in my in-law family for generations. My late uncle, Jeannot, and Father-in-law, Bernard, (both best of friends) were each geniuses at the vinaigrette. And they both taught me. I have to say my siblings along with my sisters and brothers in-law do really now carry on the tradition as I strive to as well. In our family cookbook "Cuisine Encore" I published my go-to vinaigrette - a basic version taught to me by my French mother, Monique. It's great, yet I have been looking for something slightly more modern and upbeat. So I merged Asian rice vinegar into the mix along with fresh (not powdered) garlic with the Dijon mustard, and toned down the salt. Make it your own. I now have what I think is an even better basic vinaigrette, today. Talk to you tomorrow! 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar 1 generous tsp Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup ca...

Cuisine Eric

Search This Blog