Carnitas Redo: Quesadillas al Pastor

I made carnitas the other day and, oddly, had some left over.  I didn't want to have the exact same meal again, so I decided quesadillas would be a great way to reshape that dinner.  It was fast. It was easy.  It was delicious!

Here's what you'll need:
8 taco-sized flour tortillas
about 2 cups shredded carnitas, or roast pork
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (mine was smoked)
1 c diced pineapple (I used fresh)

Divide meat among 4 of the tortillas.

Top with the pineapple.

Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top.

Transfer to a preheated griddle.  Top with remaining 4 tortillas.

Cook 2-3 minutes over medium heat, until the tortilla begins to brown.  Turn.

Cook another 3-4 minutes, until browned and the cheese is melted.

Cut into wedges.  Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Enjoy!

Carnitas

Carnitas is pork that has been marinated in chiles and then braised in the broth for many hours.  The taste is rich and smoky, and the meat's fork-tender.  It's delicious served with warmed tortillas or over a bed of rice.
For all you food purists out there, this is not the authentic recipe, this is my version.

Here's what you'll need:

3-4 dried Guajillo peppers
boiling water or chicken stock
The juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp salt
1 lb pork loin or chops, cut into 1 inch chunks
1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
flour tortillas, salsa or Mojo and sour cream, for serving

Guajillo chiles are smoky and not too spicy.  They give a ton of flavor without burning up your taste buds.  I bought this big bag at Walmart.  You can also get it at international grocery stores.

Break the stem off the peppers and put them in a bowl, breaking them to fit.

Add enough boiling water or broth to completely cover the peppers (about 2 cups).  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool to room temperature.

When cool, pour the softened peppers and their liquid into a blender.  Pulse until smooth.

Add the lemon juice and salt, then pulse until well-blended.

Put the pork cubes into a shallow dish and pour the pepper mix over it, stirring to coal it all.

Cover and refrigerate 2-8 hours.

Get a cast iron skillet or dutch oven screaming hot.

Add the oil.  When it just begins to smoke, add the pork cubes, turning to sear all sides.  Cover.  Place the skillet in a 350* oven.  Bake until the pork easily breaks apart with a fork.

Serve with warm flour tortillas (or rice), salsa or mojo and sour cream.

Enjoy!

Mojo

I recently spent a week down at my daughter's while she had and recovered from surgery.  Her boyfriend is a bit of a foodie (Major understatement!) and cooks things I've never tasted before.  One night, he was making us Cuban sandwiches and I was tasked with making the mojo.  Mojo is a condiment Cubans use like we use ketchup.

We trolled the recipe sites looking for a suitable mojo, and settled on one that had only 4 ingredients.  I was garlicky and delicious!  But I felt it was missing a little something, so when I re-created it here at home, I added a bunch of cilantro, fresh from the garden.  Not only did it give the mojo a more pleasing color, it really added a flavor boost.

Here's what you'll need:
1/2 c olive oil
10 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 c sour orange juice (or equal parts lime and orange juice)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 small bunch cilantro

Combine the oil and the garlic in a small saucepan.  Over low heat, simmer the garlic just until fragrant.  DO NOT allow it to brown, or it can become bitter very quickly.

Add the juice to the pot.  It may splatter a bit, so stand back.  Bring to a boil.  Cook 1 minute.

Remove from heat.  Stir in the cumin and cilantro.

Allow to sit, at room temp, until completely cooled.

Pour the cooled sauce into a blender and pulse until smooth.

Pour into an airtight container and store in the fridge for one week, or in the freezer up to one month.

Enjoy!