Tamarind Chipotle Rubbed Carnitas Tortas Recipes

Steps:

• For the po campo/pork carnitas: Start by heating the lard in large saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until lightly colored. Add the salt, chili powder, dried cilantro, dried oregano, granulated garlic, paprika, pepper, cumin and cinnamon to the pork and stir. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
• Strain the fat from the liquid, put the pork back into the pot and add the orange juice and milk. Simmer until very tender, about 45 minutes.
• For the po campo assembly: Heat a deep fryer to 350 degrees F.
• Brush a tortilla with some of the whisked egg. Add 5 ounces of the pork carnitas, 2 ounces of the cheese and 4 ounces of the potatoes. Then fold in the sides and roll into a cylinder. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, carnitas, cheese and potatoes. Let stand 5 minutes, then fry until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Serve with Fire-Roasted Salsa and Queso/Cheese Sauce.
• Slice the tomatoes and onion into 1-inch rounds. De-stem the jalapeño and trim the green onions. Roast the tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, green onions and garlic on a metal rack over an open flame until the vegetables are charred on all sides.
• Heat a saucepot over medium heat. Add the charred vegetables to the saucepot and simmer until the vegetables are broken down, about 30 minutes. Then add the cilantro, lime juice and salt to taste. Puree with a hand blender until smooth. Serve with Mexican-inspired dishes or anything you want to jazz up.
• Combine the cheese, beer, milk and salsa in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth. Thin with more milk if necessary or desired. Great with chips, tacos or hot dogs.

Steps:

• For the carnitas: Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
• Place pork butt in a 4-inch-deep roasting pan and coat both sides generously with salt and oregano. Roast fat-side-up 8 hours or up to overnight.
• Chop meat and crispy fat or pull meat with tongs while hot. Pour juices (if you have any!) over pork and reserve for tortas, tacos, burritos or whatever you can imagine.
• For the torta: Lightly spread all four surfaces of torta roll with butter-olive oil spread. Toast all sides on the griddle or in a pan.
• Spread Baja sauce on both halves of the torta. Top with carnitas, queso fresco, jalapeños, avocado, pico de gallo and mixed greens. Cut in half and serve with cabbage and lime salad.
• Combine butter and olive oil until blended.
• Combine mayonnaise, lime juice and salt.
• Mix the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and salt well in a bowl and chill.
• Mix cabbage, carrots, cilantro and jalapeños in a bowl. Squeeze key lime over salad and add salt, then toss.

Steps:

• Add the pork to a large pot along with the salt, cumin, chile powder, cayenne, lime juice and 2 cups water.
• Give the orange halves a squeeze over the pork and tuck the juiced halves into the pork. Cook on high heat until it reaches a boil, then turn down the heat slightly and allow the pork to simmer until very tender, about 2 hours. (As the pork cooks, the liquid will evaporate off, and towards the end of the cooking time, the pork will begin to fry in its own fat. The carnitas are done when they are cooked through, break apart easily with a fork, and are beginning to brown. If you notice that your pork is cooked but not frying, try adding some oil.)
• To assemble a torta, butter both sides of a bun and press in a panini press at 350 degrees F until slightly toasted and steaming on the inside, about a minute. Fill the bun with 1/2 cup carnitas, shaking off any excess liquid from the meat. Top the carnitas with a generous helping of Habanero Slaw and a few sprigs of cilantro. Close the torta and cut crosswise on a bias.
• Pour 3/4 cup hot Ahogada Salsa over each torta (make sure the plates you use have a bit of a rim to contain the salsa!). Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 11 more tortas.
• Best eaten with your hands!
• Halve the onion and slice very thinly. Seed the habanero chiles (we recommend using gloves as the seeds are very hot!) and slice very thinly. Combine onions, habanero chiles, oregano, salt and lime in a small bowl. Allow to rest in the refrigerator at least one hour (and up to one day) before using so that the onions become slightly soft and pickled.
• Combine the tomato-chile sauce and the chicken drippings in a medium saucepan. Whisk over medium-high heat and cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Steps:

• For the carnitas: Cut the pork into 2-inch cubes and set aside. Add the tamarind paste, brown sugar and chipotles to a blender and puree until smooth. Rub the pork cubes with the marinade, then place in a pressure cooker along with the orange juice, tamarind soda and lard. Lock the pressure cooker according to the manufacturer's instructions and set to pressure cook on high for 1 hour. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for releasing the pressure, then let sit for 15 minutes. Remove the pork and let cool slightly, then shred with two forks.For the black beans: Fry the black beans in a saucepan with the lard, then transfer to a blender and pulse until coarsely blended.To serve: Spread a spoonful of mayonnaise on each roll, then add some refried beans on the bottom half of each. Top with the shredded carnitas, red onion, avocado, cilantro leaves and the top half of the roll.Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add a thin layer of vegetable oil. Place the sandwiches in the skillet and use another cast-iron skillet to weigh down the sandwiches until crispy on the first side, about 2 minutes. Flip and repeat, about 2 minutes more.Source: foodnetwork.comRecipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.