Slow Cooked Carnitas Tacos

There are few things in this World that can beat coming home to a delicious Home-Cooked meal (especially one that wasn’t hard to make or clean up after.) Having the sense to pre plan out a few meals during the week will enable you to spend some time doing something else that either needs to be done in your life or around your home. 

These slow cooked Carnitas Tacos are always a hit, simply because they cook themselves over 5 or 6 hours in a Crock pot or Dutch oven. Putting them up before you head out for work is a great idea, just make sure that your not going to be gone too long (if over 6 hours, try lowering the heat a tad bit to avoid burning the tender meat to a crisp.)

The Carnitas can be used to fill up tacos, burritos on a tostada, on nachos or even rolled up and fried into flautas, the possibilities are endless.

Enjoy!!!

(for the Entire Recipe, click READ MORE)

Grilled Pork Chops & Chimichurri Sauce w/ Smashed Potatoes

We got an email about pork chops and how can they be cooked instead of eating them fried. We are lovers of fried & smothered pork chops, but we know they can be as deadly as a car full of cops with something to prove. These pork chops get their flavor from a few choice ingredients and a good searing to lock in the flavor, but not so seared they are like eating dried pieces of rubber (no bueno in any way shape or form.)

We spiced up the combo with some smashed potatoes and a spicy Chimichurri sauce that brings everything together in the end perfectly. This gives up about 4 servings or 2 for those of you who like to eat hearty.

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs small red-skinned potatoes

Kosher salt

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp seasoning salt (preferably Tonys)

¼ tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp garlic powder (Unsalted)

¾ cup fresh parsley

¾ cup fresh cilantro

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

1 medium shallot, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

2 TBS white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground pepper

8 boneless pork chops (1 ¼ - 1 ½ lbs)

Directions:

Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water.

Add 2 teaspoons salt, partially cover and bring to a boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.

Drain, then return the potatoes to the pot and coarsely mash with a large spoon.

Cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, make the chimichurri sauce: 

Pulse the parsley, cilantro, cayenne, olive oil, shallot, garlic, vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a food processor to form a coarse paste.

Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat.

Pat the pork chops dry and season with salt and pepper, smoked paprika, seasoning salt and garlic powder.

Lightly brush the grill pan with olive oil, then grill the chops until just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.

Serve the pork chops and potatoes with the chimichurri sauce.

Per serving: Calories 599; Fat 37 g (Saturated 7 g); Cholesterol 78 mg; Sodium 323 mg; Carbohydrate 30 g; Fiber 3 g; Protein 35 g

Sparerib 101

 As the 4^th of July draws closer & closer, many people flock to the stores in search of the best Ribs, Chicken & More to get going on that grill they hardly use. One of the most commonly cooked meats is Spareribs, around this time, because they aren’t usually too expensive and you get a good amount of meat compared baby backs that although they taste great, can get rather costly when trying to feed a large group of people.


Just so you don’t get taken advantage of at the counter, Spareribs always mean pork from the belly. A rack of 11 rib bones ideally weighs between 2 and 3 lbs. Spareribs are often sold with a meaty section of the flank attached; when trimmed, they are known as "St. Louis style." 
Now get to Grillin’.

Cochon 555 at The Ritz-Carlton, Denver

Celebrating its third season as a friendly competition for a cause -- touting pork with a purpose -- Cochon 555 will convene in the Mile-High City on Sunday, April 3, 2011 at The Ritz-Carlton, Denver. The one-of-a-kind traveling culinary competition and tasting event was conceived by Brady Lowe to promote sustainable farming of heritage breed pigs. Each stop along the 10-city tour offers hard-working local farmers the opportunity to connect with like-minded agriculturalists, renowned chefs and the pork-loving public. 

Top chefs from around the state, all nationally recognized as Colorado’s best, will join forces to showcase their take on a pork dish produced from a 175 pound heritage breed hog, each carefully paired with a different wine from selected wineries. Chefs lending a hand for the spirited competition are: Alex Seidel – Fruition, Frank Bonnano – Mizuna/Bones/Luca de Italia, Jennifer Jasinski –Rioja/Euclid Hall, Kelly Liken – Kelly Liken, Vail, and Lachlan Mackinnon – Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder.

The Ritz-Carlton, Denver’s very own executive chef Justin Fields will be on the panel as one of 20 judges to crown the ‘King or Queen of Porc’. Winners are selected based on presentation, utilization and overall best flavor.

Attendees will savor samplings of the chefs prepared dishes and can even take in a live face-off featuring two butchers as they show-off their skills and speed. Epicurean audiences, comprised mainly of pork lovers around the country, have enjoyed this spectacle of a ‘porkfest’, as The New York Times raved it’s a “MUST DO culinary experience.” The winner from each 10-city tour will go to go the finale event, Grand Cochon, at the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen, June 19, 2011. 

To purchase tickets, visit www.cochon555.com. Cochon 555’s goal is to help family farms sustain and expand their businesses and to encourage breed diversity and is the only heritage breed pig culinary competition in the country. 

For more information on The Ritz-Carlton, Denver, please call 303.312.3800 or visit us at The Ritz-Carlton, Denver

For more on this event and tips and pointers on how to produce good pork based meals, read the following interview from Chef Justin Fields after the jump.