Per
Wikipedia “Carnitas, literally "little meats," are a type of braised
or roasted (often after first being fried) pork in Mexican cuisine.” We recently made our first trip to a Knoxville Mexican
restaurant named Meksiko Cantina, where I ordered the “Green Plate” described
as “Pork carnita’s cooked with green tomatillo sauce” – I’ve been on a green sauce
kick for a couple of months and thought this dish was delicious.
Since the
sauce was different, it’s hard to compare to the restaurant version, but it was
very good (photo didn't do it justice), especially with the smoky bark on the meat – I thought the chili
powder worked well in this application but still prefer my normal rub for our pulled pork.
For supper the next night, it was the same ingredients on a tortilla topped with some salad mix and it was even better this way - Bev obviously made this.
And finally, if you'll look at this picture then close your eyes and imagine the salad replaced with two over easy eggs, you'll see breakfast the next morning. Not sure if it was better than the supper meal, but it was definitely edible.
While in
Cheyenne, WY on our RV trip, we ate two breakfast meals at the Diamond Horseshoe
and brought home a pint of their green chili so I decided to try a green chili
pork carnita’s dish with a BBQ twist.
I slow
roasted a pork butt, not in an oven, but in my smoker and used spices to go
with the green chili rather than for my usual for pulled pork. After Drick from
Drick’s Rambling Café used it for his pulled pork butt BBQ,
I used a light coat of my homemade chili powder.
I pulled the
pork from the smoker at 202* and let it rest (wrapped in foil) in a cooler for
several hours until supper time.
The green
chili sauce was heated in a pan and chunks of warm pork were stirred in and
cooked until it broke down just a little.
We served it with some refried beans and warm flour tortillas.
For supper the next night, it was the same ingredients on a tortilla topped with some salad mix and it was even better this way - Bev obviously made this.
I'm now
responding to your comments and hoping you will stop back by - photos best if
enlarged by clicking on them.
Have a great
day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.
Larry
11/08/12
event date
My favorite!! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Bill, now I need to find a great recipe for making my own green sauce.
DeleteThis is great, Larry. You know...the obvious never is. I reread twice your comment about taking the meat out of the smoker, wrapping in tinfoil and put it in the cooler to rest. Of course!! It stays hot/warm and is safely tucked away. Coolers are not only for cooling. Thank you for the obvious!!!!
ReplyDeleteMade me smile Susan. We call them coolers but they are really temperature maintainers. I've kept several butts in one overnight and they were still too hot to handle the next morning.
DeleteWell that meal sounds really good Larry and especially with your chili seasoning. That stuff is perfect in flavor. I'll have to remember that foil/cooler trick. What a great way to keep meat warm and I'm sure the flavors just meld. I must say I like the tostada version with the toppings. That shrimp photo is just fabulous. I've got that recipe bookmarked to try. Somebody did a great job with presentation.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lea Ann. Check my response to Susan above. I've been thinking more about presentation lately thanks to all of you that do it well.
DeleteOMG - that looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteThanks Steph, it always nice to get an OMG comment.
ReplyDeleteYou are a master at turning a great dinner into a superb breakfast with eggs!
ReplyDeleteThanks Marjie
DeleteI agree with Marjie - you are the breakfast master! Eggs are great on everything :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Tricia - I'm sure there are things out there to top with an egg that I've yet to think of.
DeleteHow delicious this looks! I love those southwest chili flavors with pork. I'd eat this for dinner any day...MAYbe even for breakfast.
ReplyDeleteThanks Susan - I'm already thinking about the next meal of pork with verde sauce.
DeleteLarry, OK...Let's get this straight. Pulled pork in Green Chili Sauce with refried beans and tortillas...topped with fried eggs! Yikes...over the top. Nice job of thinking outside of the box! That's why you are the 'Creative Breakfast King'! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
ReplyDeleteThanks Dave - I think you would have enjoyed it.
DeleteWhoa, Larry, your header photo is awesome! I just want to help myself to a couple of those gorgeous shrimp and dunk them in some cocktail sauce. Your pulled pork looks pretty darn delicious too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathy - Here's the recipe: http://bigdudesramblings.blogspot.com/2012/10/caribbean-holiday-shrimp-burgers.html
DeleteYUM!! I love carnitas and just never seem to actually make anything close to it..but I order it a lot when I'm out. And green chili sauces range so much in flavor, but I've never met one I didn't like :)
ReplyDeleteJenn - that's what I seem to be discovering about green chilis
DeleteI'm with Cathy in your awesome shrimp header! I want to eat shrimp right now....followed by your delicious carnitas. You always have the best looking food Larry.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lynda - while we didn't eat them on the same day, I'm sure I could have.
DeleteI love dishes like this one...I find them damn delicious and very comforting.
ReplyDeleteAwesome.
Velva
Thanks Velva - I don't get awesome very often.
DeleteCarnitas and refried beans, doesn't get much better than that! I think this meal would put my tail on a couch for at least an hour after eating, being too full, because I would eat way too much.
ReplyDeleteI did a pork butt with Albukirky's green chile rub and that was very good. I prefer a regular pulled pork but it was good for something different.