Pork Carnitas Tacos with Mango, Jicama, & Quinoa Salad
Oh tacos, how I love thee in summer. A perfectly portable summer dish requiring only need one hand to eat them...hence the other can hold a chilled adult beverage of your choice. Or a second taco. Depends on how many hungry people there are around to steal all the tacos. Strategy when eating is important...
There are tons of ways to make tacos, and I love exploring new toppings and flavor combinations. It's also a great idea for a party because you can put out all the ingredients and everyone (especially the picky eaters) can make their own. No complaining. I love it.
I was walking through the grocery store and noticed Rick Bayless has a new marinade for carnitas tacos. The photo on the package looked delicious so I figured that they should soon be on the menu. After picking up some corn tortillas and a quick trip to the meat section for some pork shoulder I had my main dish decided. But what about a side dish?
I have had good luck with quinoa salads recently and figured it could be a good base. Plus there are always mangoes around in the summer so I found a recipe with jicama and radishes for crunch and threw the ingredients in the cart. Check out time!
These tacos are very low maintenance when it comes to prep. However, it does require some foresight because you have to throw together everything before you go to work. And the onions need at least 4 hours to marinate. So if you don't start in the morning, you should pick something else for dinner. But really, yay slow cookers!
Before you go to work - start with the pickled red onions. Squeeze lime, lemon and orange juice into a mason jar.
Add thinly sliced onions, sugar and salt and shake well to combine. Stick in the fridge.
Now it's time for the pork. Pat the shoulder dry and liberally sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. In a small bowl combine olive oil, cumin and oregano. Spread evenly over the pork. Place in the slow cooker.
Roughly chop an onion and mince garlic. Sprinkle on top of the pork. Cut an orange in half and squeeze over the meat, then throw the halves in the slow cooker Pour the chicken broth carefully on the sides, being careful to not wash off the spices.
Cook for 10 hours, turning over after 5 hours (if you're home).
(I have no photos because a slow cooker is boring. And I forgot...)
Now you're home from work and hungry. Completely understandable. Take the pork out and set aside. Pour the juice in a small sauce pan and heat over high until boiling. Then reduce heat and simmer until reduced in half and thickened.
Shred the pork and put on a baking sheet. Set aside for broiling.
While this reduces, make the salad. Heat water to boiling and cook quinoa according to package instructions. Wash radishes and thinly slice on a mandoline.
Peel and dice mangoes and jicama.
Add all vegetables to a large bowl. Chop cilantro and toss gently to mix.
In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey, oil, chili powder, salt and pepper.
Add cooked quinoa to the vegetables and pour dressing over, then gently toss.
Last but not least, take the shredded pork and broil under high for ~4 minutes until crispy. Drizzle with reduced sauce and serve with pickled onions and desired toppings. We used cabbage and avocado for a mixture of textures and flavors. Delicious.
Enjoy!
There are tons of ways to make tacos, and I love exploring new toppings and flavor combinations. It's also a great idea for a party because you can put out all the ingredients and everyone (especially the picky eaters) can make their own. No complaining. I love it.
I was walking through the grocery store and noticed Rick Bayless has a new marinade for carnitas tacos. The photo on the package looked delicious so I figured that they should soon be on the menu. After picking up some corn tortillas and a quick trip to the meat section for some pork shoulder I had my main dish decided. But what about a side dish?
I have had good luck with quinoa salads recently and figured it could be a good base. Plus there are always mangoes around in the summer so I found a recipe with jicama and radishes for crunch and threw the ingredients in the cart. Check out time!
These tacos are very low maintenance when it comes to prep. However, it does require some foresight because you have to throw together everything before you go to work. And the onions need at least 4 hours to marinate. So if you don't start in the morning, you should pick something else for dinner. But really, yay slow cookers!
Before you go to work - start with the pickled red onions. Squeeze lime, lemon and orange juice into a mason jar.
Add thinly sliced onions, sugar and salt and shake well to combine. Stick in the fridge.
Roughly chop an onion and mince garlic. Sprinkle on top of the pork. Cut an orange in half and squeeze over the meat, then throw the halves in the slow cooker Pour the chicken broth carefully on the sides, being careful to not wash off the spices.
Cook for 10 hours, turning over after 5 hours (if you're home).
(I have no photos because a slow cooker is boring. And I forgot...)
Now you're home from work and hungry. Completely understandable. Take the pork out and set aside. Pour the juice in a small sauce pan and heat over high until boiling. Then reduce heat and simmer until reduced in half and thickened.
Shred the pork and put on a baking sheet. Set aside for broiling.
While this reduces, make the salad. Heat water to boiling and cook quinoa according to package instructions. Wash radishes and thinly slice on a mandoline.
Peel and dice mangoes and jicama.
Add all vegetables to a large bowl. Chop cilantro and toss gently to mix.
In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey, oil, chili powder, salt and pepper.
Add cooked quinoa to the vegetables and pour dressing over, then gently toss.
Last but not least, take the shredded pork and broil under high for ~4 minutes until crispy. Drizzle with reduced sauce and serve with pickled onions and desired toppings. We used cabbage and avocado for a mixture of textures and flavors. Delicious.
Enjoy!
Pork Carnitas
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless pork shoulder
- Salt & Pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
- 1 orange, cut in half
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the pork shoulder. Cover all sides liberally with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl combine olive oil, oregano, and cumin. Rub over pork. Place pork in slow cooker. Top with onion, garlic and jalepeno. Squeeze orange over the top and put halves in the slow cooker. Pour the chicken broth in the bottom. Cover and cook for 10 hours on low.
- Remove pork from slow cooker. Set aside. Pour juices into a wide bottomed sauce pan and discard orange halves. Heat liquid to boiling, then reduce flame and simmer until reduced by half.
- While that reduces, shred meat into large pieces and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Put under broiler for 4 minutes until crispy.
- Transfer meat to serving dish and drizzle with thickened sauce. Add to tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Pickled Red Onions
Ingredients
- 3 medium red onions, halved and thinly sliced
- Juice from 3 limes
- Juice from 2 lemons
- Juice from 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a mason jar. Cover and shake until sugar is dissolved.
- Refrigerate and allow to marinate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Quinoa, Mango & Jicama salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 jicama, peeled and cubed
- 1 mango, peeled and cubed
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool slightly.
- Chop all vegetables and add to a large bowl. Toss gently. Add cooled quinoa.
- In a small bowl, mix oil, lime juice, honey and chili powder. Toss with salad until combined. Serve chilled.
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