Easy Two Ingredient Slow Cooker Carnitas

Easy Two Ingredient Slow Cooker Carnitas over Sweet Potato

It really, seriously doesn't get any easier than this one. Put these two things in your slow cooker, let it go all day and dinner is ready when you get home from work: 1) pork shoulder/pork butt roast, 2) your favorite taco seasoning packet. I use Simply Organic "Spicy Taco" Seasoning Mix - it's fabulously full of flavor, not too spicy in my opinion, gluten free and organic. You can most likely find it at your local market or use the link I provided to order from Amazon.

IF you wanted to get really fancy, you could add some fresh or canned organic diced tomatoes, onions and/or green chiles (or maybe a can of Ro-Tel) but it's totally not necessary. Like really, really only if you want to go the extra mile here.

No matter what though, these shredded pork carnitas are amazing. You can use them in tacos, taco salads, over eggs, on a sweet potato, put it on a pizza - the possibilities are endless. And did I tell you how easy they are to make?! Just two ingredients, throw 'em in the slow cooker and you're done.

Easy Two-Ingredient Slow Cooker Carnitas
serves 6-8

Ingredients:
1 - 2 lb all natural pork shoulder or pork butt roast
1 - 1.1 oz packet taco seasoning mix (I use Simply Organic "Spicy Taco")
(Optional: fresh or canned diced tomatoes, onions and/or green chiles)

Place in a slow cooker set to low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Use two forks to shred, mix with all the juices and serve.

Taco Salad: Easy Two Ingredient Slow Cooker Carnitas over Salad

Tacos: Easy Two Ingredient Slow Cooker Carnitas over Almond Flour Tortilla

What's your favorite way to enjoy carnitas?

All About Figs plus a Fig and Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Loin Roast Recipe

Black Mission Fig (solid black), Brown Turkey Fig (green and purple), Calimyrna Fig (green)

The incredible, edible...fig!  As delicious as it is beautiful.  As versatile as it is mysterious.

Brown Turkey Fig (back left), Black Mission Fig (front left), Calimyrna Fig (front right)

I was thrilled when the California Fresh Fig Growers Association offered to send me some fresh figs to play with. I've long been a fan of them.  Recently in the form of Pancetta Wrapped Figs, and Brie with Fig and Almond, and as a child when my mom used to make homemade fig bars - her version of Fig Newtons.

So what is a fig?

A fig is a fruit and it grows on a tree.  It's smooth on the outside and soft on the inside with lots of edible seeds. You can eat the whole fig raw, skin and all, or you can prepare figs any number of ways - from sweet to savory. Figs are typically small, about the size of a golf ball or slightly larger.  Although last year at Bristol Farms I saw figs the size of my palm!

Unusually large figs I saw last year at Bristol Farms!

Fig tree orchard on left, figs on right (photos courtesy of California Fresh Fig Growers Association)

What does a fig taste like?

Figs have a distinctive flavor.  They're mildly sweet without being overly so.  The darker figs, like Black Mission Figs are richer and earthier, while the lighter colored figs, like Calimyrna Figs are more buttery and nutty.  Dried figs are similar to the texture of prunes and taste somewhat like the inside of a Fig Newton.

Where do figs come from?

Did you know that California produces 100% of the United States' dried figs and 98% of our fresh figs?  And in CA there are 5 primary varieties of figs - Black Mission, Calimyrna, Brown Turkey, Kadota, Sierra Figs.  In most stores here locally in Southern CA, I generally find the first 3 fresh figs - Gelson's currently has fresh Black Mission and Brown Turkey Figs, and Bristol Farms has fresh Calimyrna Figs. The dried figs I usually find are Black Mission Figs.

Nutritional Info on Figs:

Figs are naturally fat free, sodium free and cholesterol free as well as being rich in antioxidants, fiber, potassium and calcium. They're an all-natural energy source making them perfect for an afternoon snack or a quick boost before a workout!

Brown Turkey Fig

Figs are a wonderous and versatile ingredient. This time I chose to use fresh (but you could also use dried) figs in a beautiful stuffed pork loin roast.

Fig and Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Loin Roast

Serves 4-6

Oven 400 degrees F

Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 pound pork loin roast

2 ounces goat cheese

1 1/2 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced and cooked till crispy

1/2 shallot, minced

1 sprig fresh rosemary, plus extra for garnish
2 fresh or 3 dried figs (any variety), rough chopped

kitchen twine

2 Tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil (for high heat)

sea salt flakes (I use Maldon)

fresh cracked pepper

Place goat cheese, cooked and diced pancetta, minced shallot, leaves from one sprig of rosemary, a pinch of sea salt, and a bit of fresh cracked pepper in small bowl and mix.

Next add figs and gently mix.

Set aside mixture and prepare pork loin. Cut large slit or pocket in middle of pork loin roast being careful not to cut through the ends or filet. Place mixture inside the pocket.

Close up pork loin and hold together by tying several pieces of kitchen twine around. Then coat with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Heat up oil in a skillet to high heat. Place pork loin in and sear all sides.

Place pork loin in baking dish and roast in oven for approximately 40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches about 140 degrees F. Remove from oven, cover with foil and allow to rest approximately 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.


Slice, garnish with fresh rosemary and serve. Yum - rich and full of flavor!

For more recipes using fresh and dried figs, like the one below for Chocolate Covered Figs, visit: www.calfreshfigs.com and www.californiafigs.com.

Chocolate Covered Figs (photo courtesy of California Fresh Fig Growers Association)

Slow Cooker Carnitas (Shredded Pork)

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Cooking carnitas in the crock pot or slow cooker has got to be the easiest way ever. This method would be perfect over the holidays, especially if you have a house full of guests.

Since you're making them in a slow cooker, it's "set it and forget it" and you can literally leave the finished carnitas warming in the slow cooker all day and evening allowing your guests to eat at will and you won't have to lift a finger. Oh, and these make excellent breakfast tacos, too!

Plan to coat your pork roast in the dry rub the day before you plan to cook, and then allow at least 10-11 hours of cooking time on the low setting of your slow cooker.


So let's say you wanted to have these ready for Christmas Eve day, here's a sample timeline:

• Evening of Dec. 22nd - coat roast in dry rub
• Evening of Dec. 23rd - place roast in slow cooker
• Morning of Dec. 24th - shred pork, add potatoes and green chiles and cook another hour or so, turn slow cooker to 'warm setting' and leave all day and evening for everyone to eat when desired

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Serves 10 (serving size 2 tacos)

Dry Rub:

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon ground mustard

3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper

Ingredients:

4-5 pound boneless pork shoulder roast

1 cup chicken broth

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, including juices

2-3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 4-ounce can whole green chiles

2 pounds small white potatoes

20 small tortillas

Garnish:

chopped fresh cilantro

diced red onion

shredded cheddar cheese

sour cream

Mix all dry rub ingredients together then rub on all sides of the pork roast. Wrap roast in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours.

After roast has been refrigerated in dry rub for recommended time, place chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and garlic in slow cooker and then place roast on top. Place cover on slow cooker and turn setting to 'low'. Allow to cook for about 10 hours or overnight.

Carefully remove excess fat from exterior of roast and discard.  Using two forks, shred the roast and stir.

Quarter potatoes and add. I don't recommend using Yukon Golds for this dish as they won't hold up. These small white potatoes were perfect.

Hand shred the green chiles and add, then stir.

Cover and allow to continue to cook on low setting for approximately an hour or so until potatoes are tender. Taste and salt if needed. Turn to 'warm setting' and leave covered for guests to eat when desired. Be sure to have garnish items ready in the refrigerator for guests to access easily.

the potatoes cooked in the broth are absolutely delicious
on the taco or by themselves

Slow Cooker Carnitas

To make breakfast tacos, just add scrambled eggs.

Holiday Menu Item: Cranberry Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Loin Roast

Cranberry Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Loin Roast

Every now and then a blind squirrel gets a nut, and this time I hit the jackpot! It all started when Claire over at Claire Cooks invited me to participate in Merry Mondays. For the next four Mondays, there's a theme ingredient and this Monday it's cranberries.

I've been racking my brain trying to come up with a recipe that didn't involve cranberry sauce and lo and behold...I think I have a masterpiece (even if I do say so myself)!

I stuffed this beautiful pork loin roast with a mixture of dried cranberries, dates, walnuts, sage, and goat cheese. The combination was heavenly.

Cranberry Goat Cheese Stuffed Pork Loin Roast

Serves 6

Oven 375 degrees F

Ingredients:

1 2-pound pork loin roast, butterflied

5 ounces goat cheese

3 Tablespoons dried cranberries

2 dates, pits removed, chopped

2 Tablespoons minced fresh sage

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon kosher salt

kitchen twine

extra-virgin olive oil

salt

fresh cracked pepper

In medium bowl, mix goat cheese, cranberries, dates, sage, walnuts and kosher salt. Place mixture inside butterflied pork loin, close pork loin around the mixture. Use kitchen twine to tie and hold tight. Seal end with skewers, if desired. This will help hold the cheese mixture inside.

Bristol Farms has gorgeous pork loin roasts!

Rub outside of tied pork loin with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Place seam side down in baking dish or pan.

ready to go in oven

Place in oven and roast for approximately 6o minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.

fresh from the oven

Allow to rest for about 10 minutes, then cut the twine off and serve.

beautiful AND delicious!

I cannot even describe how good this was. The creamy filling is rich and adds so much to the pork loin roast. The olive oil, salt and pepper really enhance the flavors, too. This would be a great addition to any holiday meal.

~ Merry Monday! ~

Medallions of Pork Tenderloin with Cinnamon Apple Compote

Medallions of Pork Tenderloin with Cinnamon Apple Compote

Wow, where do I start?

On the table in less than 20 minutes - check!

A few simple ingredients - check!

Easy to make - check!

Delicious beyond belief - double check!

Seriously, this was soooo good and soooo easy. I simply took a pork tenderloin that I picked up from the butcher at Bristol Farms, sliced it into medallions, seasoned them, and then sauteed them. Meanwhile, I slow cooked Granny Smith apple slices in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until they were soft. That's it! Done!

I have to tell you that these little pork medallions were the most tender pork I think I've ever had. They just fell apart as I took a bite, much like a tender piece of pot roast does. I should have taken a photo of the tenderloin before I cut it up but didn't. It was about 2 1/2 - 3 inches in diameter, so it was rather small, and perfect for making these medallions.

The cinnamony and slightly sweet apples were amazing atop the perfectly-seasoned, tender, and juicy pork medallions.

Cinnamon Apple Compote

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and sliced thin

1 Tablespoon unsalted grass-fed butter

2 teaspoons brown sugar or honey

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Heat small saucepan to medium heat and melt butter. Next add apple slices, brown sugar or honey, and cinnamon to pan and stir to coat. Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally until apple slices are soft, approximately 10 minutes.

apple slices cooking in butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar

Medallions of Pork Tenderloin

Serves 2-3

2 Tablespoons grass-fed ghee or butter

1 - 1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, sliced into 3/4-inch medallions
fresh oregano
fresh thyme
fresh rosemary

sea salt to taste

Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium-high and add ghee or butter. Season both sides of pork medallions with oregano, thyme, rosemary and salt. Place seasoned medallions in hot skillet and cook until lightly browned, approximately 3-4 minutes, then turn and lightly brown other side, about another 3-4 minutes.

Serve medallions topped with apple compote.

tenderloin that has been sliced into medallions

one side browned and halfway done

Ready to eat with apple compote on top...YUM!!

Pistachio and Blue Corn Tortilla Crusted Pork Chops

Pistachio and Blue Corn Tortilla Crusted Pork Chops

This dish is all about the pistachios. If you like them, you'll love this. Center cut pork loin chops crusted in chopped pistachios and crushed blue corn tortilla chips, pan fried and finished with pistachio oil - Mmmmm!

Serves 4


Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons grapeseed oil, or canola oil (or any oil that has a medium-high smoke point)

4 boneless center cut pork loin chops

10 blue corn tortilla chips, crushed or chopped

1/4 cup salted pistachios, chopped

1 egg, beaten with 1 Tablespoon water (egg wash)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dredging

kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon pistachio oil, or extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place flour in a shallow bowl, then place egg wash (beaten egg with water) in a separate shallow bowl. Salt and pepper pork chops then dredge each in flour, then egg wash, then flour again. On one side of pork chops press crushed tortilla chips and chopped pistachios.

coated, crusted and ready to be pan fried

Heat grapeseed or canola oil in skillet to medium, then place pork chops crusted side down into hot pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until pork chops are no longer pink inside.

Remove from pan and drizzle with pistachio oil (or extra-virgin olive oil) before serving. The pistachio oil gave it that extra punch of pistachio but these chops would be just as good using extra-virgin olive oil if you don't have, or don't want to invest in, pistachio oil.

I picked up this La Tourangelle Pistachio Oil at Bristol Farms  and it is really, really good (but expensive). In this case, I felt it was worth it because I'll use it over and over again in salad dressings, as a dipping oil, drizzled over pasta, etc. Some oils are not very flavorful, however, this 100% pure pistachio oil was the exception. Close your eyes, taste, and it's like you're eating a pistachio.

Cumin-Crusted Pork Loin Chops

Cumin-Crusted Pork Loin Chop

Gelson's always has these beautiful, extra thick pork loin chops that make me want to buy them, take them home and prepare them in a really special way. In the past I've baked them with apples, 'simply grilled' them, covered them in a fresh cherry peach sauce, and the list goes on. This time I was looking for a little spice so I coated them in cumin seeds and some smoked paprika and they were outstanding!


This is one of those super simple "recipes" that you don't need to measure. It's always nice to have a few of these up your sleeve for last-minute dinners that look (and taste) like you've spent a lot of time preparing.

Serves 4

Grill Medium

Ingredients:

4 pork loin chops, extra thick cut

olive oil

cumin seeds

smoked paprika

kosher salt

freshly cracked pepper

coat both sides and grill

Coat both sides of chops with olive oil. Then sprinkle cumin seed, a little smoked paprika, kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper, and rub or pat the chops to be sure they are well coated.

Grill for approximately 6-8 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center reads 160 degrees F. Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serving suggestion: These Cumin-Crusted Pork Loin Chops are excellent when served with crunchy Roasted Corn Salsa on the side.