Frugal, Fast, and Flavorful Meals- Pork Carnitas

Cheap or Fast and Easy Meals

I cook enough for at least 20 people each meal, so my recipes have been created for large batches.  Unfortunately…I rarely measure.  You can use an existing recipe and adapt or change it to fit your family.

I also cook Gluten free meals for family members.  One of the biggest tips for Gluten free cooking is…not to substitute for gluten but to find recipes that naturally do not contain Gluten.  Mexican and Asian meals are normally Gluten free so that is why you see many of my recipes along those flavors.

1        Pork Carnitas- is a wonderful slow cooked, flavorful pork that can be shredded for use in tacos, fajitas, or tostadas.  (Corn tortillas, taco shells and tostada shells are normally gluten free.)

Cut pork into 3” square cubes, place into Ziploc bag with marinade.  Add soy sauce (La Choy is wheat free), lemon juice, orange juice, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne, black pepper, salt.  Freeze.

To prepare defrost in fridge. Remove meat and fry in hot oil on all sides.  Pour marinade in with meat plus a can of Pepsi (secret ingredient) ssshhhhh.  Let boil, then cover and simmer for about an hour.

While you are waiting, make Spanish rice.  Sauté onions with about 3 cups of dry rice.  Heat till rice turns opaque.  Add garlic powder, cumin, salt and a little bit of chili powder to taste.

Add 1 can Italian stewed tomatoes, use the spatula to smash down chunks.  Then fill up the tomato can with water 4 times and pour into the rice.  Let boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Crack open a can of refried beans and or black beans.  Heat up tortillas, cut up some lettuce and tomatoes.  Have salsa, sour cream and cheese available.  Call every one in and let them assemble.  Olay!