Honduran Holiday Pork

This recipe is inspired by a traditional holiday meal served in Honduras.  I fell in love with it over dinner with a friend’s family and now I make it every year around the holidays.  This pork is dynamic and robust, with wonderful citrus flavors and smoky spices.  It’s incredibly easy to make and it will fill your home with delectable aromas.

Guide to Latin T Dishes:

Torta - sandwich on soft bread
Tortilla - obvious, but flat bread made from corn or flour
Tostada - crispy tortilla piled high with latin goodies
Taquito - rolled and fried tortilla with meat and cheese
Taco - if I have to explain this one to you, you may be reading the wrong blog

Crockpot Orange Pork

1 Pork Shoulder (one that will fit in your crockpot)
Salt & Pepper
1 T. plus 1 t. Smoked Paprika, divided
1 T. plus 1 t. Cumin, divided
1 T. plus 1 t. Sugar, divided
2 Red Onions, cut into slices
2 Oranges, cut into large chunks
1 Lime, cut into large chunks
¼ C. Olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
Cilantro, Orange slices & Avocado, for garnish
Tortillas, for serving

Add the pork and onions to a large bowl and sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and the spices.  Squeeze the citrus over the pork and drizzle with the olive oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic and marinate overnight. 

In the morning, squeeze whatever is left from the citrus over the meat and onions.  Remove the citrus from the bowl and discard.  Carefully transfer the pork, onions and marinade from the bowl to a crockpot.  Set to high and cook for 8-9 hours until the pork is cooked through, tender and pulls apart easily with a fork. 

Move the pork to a large bowl and shred with 2 forks.  Skim the fat from the juices in the crockpot and doctor up the sauce with the butter and about one teaspoon of smoked paprika, cumin and sugar.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Add the meat back to the crockpot so it can soak up all those good flavors. 

To serve, pile the pork onto a warm tortilla and garnish with fresh cilantro, orange and avocado. 

Happy holidays and happy eating!

White Chicken Chili

This recipe comes from my uncle, Tim Curry, who lives in Tucson, Arizona.  A hearty southwestern dish, it is flavored with cinnamon, cumin and roasted green chilies.  Serve it with some tortillas and avocado or corn bread and you’ve got yourself the perfect, unique fall meal.  Thank you for the recipe, Tim.

8 Large chicken thighs (no skin, with bones to start)

2 T. olive oil

1 Large sweet yellow onion, diced

2-3 Cloves of garlic, minced

1 Bag frozen premium white pearl onions

1 32-oz. can of chicken broth

2 16-oz. cans of white beans, rinsed and drained

1 t. Crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)

1 t. Cumin

½ t. Cinnamon

2 T. red wine vinegar

1 Large baked potato (or 1 can white potatoes, drained), chopped

1 7-oz. Can roasted diced green chilies

Cilantro, shredded white cheddar, avocado, pico de gallo, for garnish and topping

*I couldn’t find frozen pearl onions, so I substituted regular onion.  I also added yellow corn and hominy in place of half of the white beans.  I garnished mine with cilantro and lime.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil.  Add the chicken thighs and cook over medium heat until they’re almost done.  Remove the chicken and allow it to cool.  Add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent, but don’t let them brown!  Add the pearl onions (or small white onions if you can’t find them frozen, because I never can now).  Let them cook with the other onions and garlic for several minutes.  Add the chicken broth and let it come to a simmer. 

While the broth is heating, debone and shred the chicken.  Discard any skin, fat or bones and add the chicken to the pot.  When the combination has come to a simmer, add the white beans. 

Season the chili with the red pepper flakes, cumin, cinnamon and vinegar.  Cover the pot and let the chili simmer about 30 minutes.  Remove the cover and add the diced green chilies.  Cook for another 20 minutes.  *If you add the green chilies too soon, their flavor will be lost, so don’t do it!

At this point, season the chili further with more crushed red pepper flakes (or Tepin peppers for a bigger kick, do not use jalapenos).  Serve the chili hot with cilantro, shredded white cheddar or avocado and Pico de Gallo.  This chili tastes great with bread sticks, tortillas or good, coarse bread.