Cinco de Mayo Megapost

Cinco de Mayo came and went a few weeks ago, but that doesn't mean I can't post the food my mom and I made to celebrate!  We love Mexican food, and we make some GOOD recipes.

On the menu was carnitas, a shredded (or cubed, depending on who you talk to) pork taco/etc. filling, frijoles charros, something I've had in many restaurants, but never like this (think pork & beans, but less sweet and more spice), a lovely relish for the carnitas, and black bean soup, which I'll admit isn't Mexican in the slightest.  More like American Southwest, but it was requested, so I will post it.

Carnitas are fairly simple to make, and you could definitely make it in a slow cooker as well as a dutch oven (I would probably leave out some of the liquid, though).

Carnitas


Ingredients:


4 pounds fatty pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
3 cups water
2 oranges, quartered
2 onions, quartered
6-8 cloves of garlic, peeled (adjust to your garlic tastes)
3 bay leaves
1 T. epazote (also known as Mexican oregano--if you can't find it, use regular oregano)
1 T. sea salt
1 T. ground cumin
1 T. whole black peppercorns

Instructions:

Put all ingredients into a 6 or 7-quart dutch oven (I used my Le Creuset) and bring to a boil, skimming the surface as necessary.

Lower the heat, allowing the water to simmer vigorously, and stir occasionally until the pork is fork-tender and the liquid has completely evaporated (the fat will be left in the pan).

 If, after 2 hours over low heat, the liquid has not mostly evaporated, scoop out the meat/onions/oranges with a slotted spoon and evaporate the liquid over high heat.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.  Place pork back in pot/remove oranges and toss in the fat to coat. Place your pot in the oven and cook the pork mixture, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes until the meat is browned.  I had to stir mine once or twice to get everything properly brown, but you shouldn't have to.

Top with some lovely sauteed peppers and onion, if you like.

Carnitas Relish


Ingredients:
1 red onion, thinly sliced
8-10 pickled jalapeno slices, finely minced
1 small bunch of cilantro, stems removed and leaves chopped
3 T. of orange juice

Instructions:


Combine ingredients in a small bowl.  Cover and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour in the fridge.

Frijoles Charros


Ingredients:


2 cans pinto or black beans (these are traditionally made with pinto beans, but my local IGA does not carry canned OR dried pinto beans), drained and rinsed.
6 oz. bacon (6-7 slices), diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup Mexican beer
2/3 cup of pickled jalapeno slices
2 tomatoes, chopped
2-3 T. brown sugar


Instructions:


Place bacon in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until the fat renders out and the bacon begins to crisp up.

Place onion and garlic in the pan and cook through until translucent and browned.

Place beans, beer, jalapeno slices, and tomatoes in the pan and bring to a simmer.  Cook until most of the liquid has cooked off.

Stir in sugar right before serving.  Top with some fresh cilantro.

Black Bean Soup


Ingredients:
2 cups of black beans (1 15 oz. can OR dried beans, soaked overnight) cooked as stated below
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1 large carrot OR 1 sweet potato, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. cumin
2 T. medium heat chili powder
1/2 t. chipotle chili powder
1 12 oz. can diced tomatoes
4 cups cooking liquid and beans (from beans recipe below)  (If you don't have enough cooking liquid, chicken stock can be substituted)
1/2 orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
Salt to taste
Juice of 1 lime

Cilantro and sour cream to garnish

Instructions:

Take your can of black beans OR your soaked, dried beans and put them in a pot with 4 cups of water, 3 slices of bacon, 2 bay leaves, 1/4 of an onion, and 1 garlic clove, and simmer on the stove for 30 minutes.  Strain, reserving liquid, and removing onion, bay leaves, and garlic clove.

Put olive oil in a large soup pot and heat over medium heat.  Place onion, celery, and sweet potato or carrot in the pot and cook until tender.

Add garlic and spices and cook for about 5 more minutes.

Add tomatos, beans, liquid, and pepper, and allow to simmer for 30 minutes (or more), until pepper is cooked through.

Place half of the soup in a blender and puree (REMEMBER: YOUR SOUP IS HOT).  Pour back into pan and simmer a little longer, adding salt and lime juice.

Serve hot, with sour cream, cilantro, and perhaps cheese to garnish.


This is the next day's leftovers.  This meal is ACTUALLY pretty diet friendly if you skip the tortilla or have low carb ones (and if you reduce the sugar in the charro beans, but I find the amount negligible anyway).  It is high calorie, though, so watch your portions.  We also served salsa & guacamole (homemade:  Put half a red onion, 2 cloves of garlic, a jalapeno, and a bunch of cilantro in a food processor and pulse until chopped.  Scoop the flesh out of 2 avocados and add, pulsing until combined. Add the juice of 1 lime, salt to taste, and a dash of chili powder and cumin.).

Enjoy my Mexican food, everyone!

NOTE:  This is totally gluten free if the beer used for the beans is GF beer.  Sorry, I missed that!