Here’s Everything You Can Make with Leftover Salmon

Healthy Pork Carnitas Recipe With Pineapple Salsa From 'Muy ... - Yahoo

Every week, we're spotlighting a different food blogger who's shaking up the blogosphere with tempting recipes and knockout photography. Here, Ana Frias of Muy Delish puts a light and healthy spin on pork carnitas, topped with a bright pineapple salsa.

Lean pork transforms carnitas into the perfect light-and-healthy meal. Photo: Ana Frias

Healthy Pork Carnitas With Pineapple SalsaServes 8

1 tablespoon olive oil½ tablespoon dried oregano1 tablespoon cumin1 tablespoon kosher salt1 teaspoon ground pepper1 tablespoon chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into small chunks2 bay leaves½ medium onion, chopped3 garlic cloves¾ cup orange juiceCorn tortillas, to serveSliced avocado, to servePickled onions, to garnishPineapple salsa (recipe below)

Coat the slow cooker with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, oregano, cumin, salt, ground pepper, and chipotle pepper. Add the pork tenderloin and cover with the spice mixture, ensuring that it's coated well. Add to slow cooker, along with bay leaves, onions, garlic, and orange juice. Cook for 3 to 4 hours on high or 5 to 6 hours on low, until the pork is fork tender.

Remove the pork from the slow cooker to a large bowl. Discard all of the juice and mixture from the slow cooker.

Shred the pork using two forks. Place the shredded pork on a cooking sheet and broil until the meat starts to get a little crispy, watching closely so that the pork does not burn.

Serve carnitas on corn tortillas, top with avocado, pickled onions, an pineapple salsa.

Pineapple SalsaMakes 3 cups

½ red pepper1 tablespoon olive oil1 cup fresh or canned pineapple, diced2 roma tomates, diced¼ cup white or red onion, finely chopped1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped2 tablespoons fresh lime juice2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, dividedKosher salt, to tasteGround pepper, to taste

Roast red pepper: Brush lightly with olive oil and place on a heated grill or directly on the gas stove burner. Grill until the skin is completely wrinkled and the peppers are charred, turning them twice during roasting. This will take about 10 minutes.

Remove from grill/stove and immediately cover tightly with aluminum foil. Set aside for 10 minutes, or until the pepper is cool enough to handle. Remove the peels and seeds. Chop finely.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

More recipes for taco lovers:

The ultimate breakfast taco

Slow-cooker chicken chili tacos, served with a dollop of sour cream

Deconstructed fish "tacos," for when you're feeling a bit avant-garde

What's your favorite kind of taco? Tell us below!

Smoky Pork Carnitas, Enveloped In Warm Tortilla Wraps, Is Summer Food ...

We never need to justify eating carnitas. With that said, there is one good reason to indulge right now: It's peak outdoor dining season.

Juicy, succulent shredded pork carnitas, enveloped in warm tortilla wraps, make for ideal alfresco party food. They are fun to assemble and messy to eat (in the best way), which encourages outdoor dining and imbibing in cold liquid refreshments. It's summer food at its best.

The key to carnitas is to let the meat cook low and slow until it's meltingly tender. This does require time, but little effort. The cooking process takes several hours, and it's relatively hands-off — just a simple stir every hour or so. The biggest challenge will be enduring the wafting aromas of heady spice and simmering meat, which will surely test your patience as you wait.

In this recipe, a smoky, citrus-infused beer broth imbues the meat with rich citrusy flavor and spice. Once the meat is fork-tender, shred and spread it in a baking dish or grill pan. Toss with some of the reduced basting juices, and then grill or broil at high heat until the meat begins to crisp and caramelize. Present the meat on a platter along with tortillas and an array of salsas, guacamole and fresh toppings, and let everyone help themselves.

You can prepare the carnitas in the oven or on the grill. Grilling the meat will keep the heat outdoors on a warm day. If you have any leftovers, use the meat in sandwiches or loaded on homemade nachos the next day.

Smoky Pork Carnitas

Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) boneless pork shoulder, excess fat trimmed, cut into 4 large chunksKosher saltFreshly ground black pepper1 tablespoon vegetable oil1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped4 cloves garlic, chopped2 teaspoons ground cumin1 teaspoon sweet paprika1 teaspoon smoked paprika1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano12 ounces Mexican beer2 cups fresh orange juice1/3 cup chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce1/4 cup fresh lime juice1 tablespoon brown sugar

AccompanimentsWarm flour or corn tortillasGuacamoleSalsaFresh cilantroSliced green onions or chopped red onionsSliced jalapeno peppers

Directions

Generously season the meat with salt and pepper.

Heat the oven to 300 degrees or prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium-low heat, 275 to 300 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the pork and brown on all sides, in batches if necessary, about 8 minutes. Remove the pork and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.

Add the onion, garlic, cumin, paprikas and oregano. Saute until aromatic, about 1 minute, scraping up any brown bits. Add the beer, orange juice, chipotles in adobo, lime juice and brown sugar. Nestle the pork in the liquid. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot. Transfer the pot to the oven (or to indirect low heat on the grill).

Braise the pork until fork-tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours, turning the meat every hour or so.

Remove the pork from the braising liquid and transfer to a cutting board to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, shred the meat. Place the meat in a baking dish or grill pan.

Boil the braising sauce over medium-high heat until reduced by about one-third, 8 to 10 minutes, skimming the fat occasionally. Strain the sauce and drizzle some of it over the shredded pork (the pork should be lightly coated but not sopping wet).

Broil or grill the pork over indirect high heat until the meat begins to caramelize, 2 to 4 minutes.

To serve, spoon some of the pork in the center of a tortilla. Add the toppings. Roll up and eat.

Lynda Balslev is an award-winning writer, cookbook author and recipe developer, and authors the blog TasteFood, More recipes can be found at chicago.Suntimes.Com/taste.

Easy Slow Cooker Carnitas Recipe - TODAY

Chef notes

If you're getting bored with your usual taco night spread, this carnitas recipe is the answer. Using your slow cooker means it's almost completely hands-off. Cooking boneless pork shoulder with warm spices such as cumin, chili powder, oregano, red onion and garlic infuses the meat with lots of vibrant flavor. Plus, it shreds to perfection, thanks to the inclusion of orange juice, which adds just the right amount of acidity to help break down the meat until it's tender.

Boneless pork shoulder requires slow and steady cooking, so set the slow cooker to low heat and cook for eight hours. You can assemble it in the morning and it will be ready right when you finish up work for the day. After eight hours, the pork will easily shred into bite-size pieces with the use of two forks. Toss the shredded meat with a bit of the aromatic juices leftover in the slow cooker and then pile it into tacos with all your favorite fixings like salsa, guacamole, sour cream and pickled red onions.

While carnitas are a classic taco filling, don't forget this recipe has many other great uses, too. Use the carnitas in burritos, lettuce wraps, as a topping for nachos or as the main protein in a grain bowl. If you have any leftovers, reheat the shredded pork in a skillet until the edges are crispy. No matter how you serve this meat, it's guaranteed to be a flavorful base for a wide array of meals.

Preparation 1.

In a small bowl, combine the salt, oregano, cumin and chili powder. 

2.

Rub the pork shoulder with the spice blend.

3.

Line the bottom of the slow cooker with the onion and garlic, and pour in the orange juice. Place the pork in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

6.

With tongs, carefully remove the pork from the slow cooker and transfer it to a rimmed baking sheet.

7.

Chop the pork or pull apart with a fork into bite-size pieces. Serve as a filling for tacos or burritos. Leftover carnitas can be reheated in a skillet until the edges are crispy.

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