Pork Carnitas, the stuff addictions are made of!

Pork Carnitas is this delectable, flavorful, melt in your mouth dish that is regularly served at the finer Mexican restaurants. If the Chef is worth his salt you will return again, and again to partake of the addictive stuff. El Tequileno is our local haunt, and after having to make many trips to get my fix, the owner told me the secret was orange juice. I searched until I found a recipe that included orange juice and found this one on About.com. I have heard that milk has the same tenderizing effect, but to my preference the citrus adds more flavor.




Carnitas
Adapted from About.com

3 lbs pork shoulder or butt
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 onion, peeled and quartered
3 cups orange juice
Broth to cover meat
Lard or oil for frying (Lard adds more flavor)
Salt to taste

In a large saucepan, brown the pork on both sides. Pour in the orange juice, then add broth to cover meat. Add in garlic, bay leaf and the onion. Bring the liquid to a boil then turn it down to a simmer for 3 hours.

Remove pork from liquid and pull apart into chunks, discard any excess fat or bones. You will be amazed at the tenderness of the meat! Lightly salt pork chunks. Heat lard in a large frying pan and fry the chunks of pork for 2-3 minutes until brown and crispy on the outside.

Serve Immediately.

We served ours with frijoles and Spanish rice, with homemade tortillas.

Calabacita y Maize con Chile Verde

Just because one cannot indulge in sugars, yeasts and the like doesn't mean one cannot have variety in their diet! In fact, more often than not, I seek out the foods with flavors, spices, heat and textures to make up for the fact that I cannot indulge in the Cheese, Fruit and Bread Platter of yesteryear. I mean who wouldn't indulge in a good Honey soaked Brie with Green Grapes, Apples and a really crusty French Bread? (Sigh) It's a good thing my husband is of Spanish decent and I am inclined towards HOT HOT HOT, when it comes to partaking of the goods.

Today's offerings include Calabacita y Maize con Chile Verde. Squash, Corn and Chile for us Wettas. Someday I'll tell you the story about Wetta Food, but not today. For now we go on with my favorite veggie dish of all time!

Ingredients:

4 Zucchini, sliced thin and halved

4 Yellow Squash, sliced thin and halved

1 Onion, sliced thin

4 ears of Corn, kernels cut from the cob

2 Anaheim or Poblano peppers, seeded and diced (Anaheim has more of a New Mexico heat flavor, which is what we prefer, Poblano will flavor without the heat)

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Tablespoon Salt (I prefer Himalayan Sea Salt - it gives a distinct flavor)

1 Tablespoon Cumin

1 Tablespoon Pepper (I prefer a mix of fresh ground, black and white, again for the texture and flavor)

1 Tablespoon chopped Garlic

1/2 Cup crumbled Feta cheese

Saute all veggies in butter on medium heat for approximately 15 min, according to your taste preferences. I like my veggies "al dente" like pasta. There is nothing worse than mushy squash. My son Taylor liked it as a baby, but that was 17 years ago. He won't touch the stuff now, go figure.

Add seasonings at the end of the saute. Top with Feta cheese, and toss gently until melted. Serve and enjoy! This is usually a side dish along with Beans and perhaps Enchiladas or Pork Chops in our family. It is great as a leftover, as the flavors marry even more the next day! I can live on Calabacita and Frijoles for days!