Might look like a mess, but that there is some tender-as-hell pork shoulder, pleasantly spiced with salsa verde.
After coming across this recipe while browsing All Recipes, I decided to give it a go for a few reasons: it looked exceptionally easy, inexpensive, not at all labor-intensive, would be a nice change from the food I'd been eating lately, and would freeze well.
I put the dish together while the lasagna meat sauce was simmering, planning to turn the Crock Pot on the following morning so a spicy pork dinner would be ready after work.
Andy's Spicy Green Chile Pork
from allrecipes.com
1 white onion, chopped
salt
pepper
2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder roast
1 (16-oz) jar green salsa
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
2 serrano chile peppers, or to taste
Here's my pork shoulder butt roast, all 2.48 pounds of it, in it's original packaging with silly pop-up timer* included.
*Do you know how these things work? There is an adhesive inside that keeps the timer from popping up until the adhesive melting temperature is reached, about 180°F. Once the melting temperature is achieved, the timer pops-up, ensuring an over-done piece of meat. Other than when you're using a Crock Pot, please use a real thermometer.
Once removed from the packaging, I removed and threw away the pop-timer and commenced to salting and peppering the pork on both sides.
The onions were placed in the bottom of the Crock Pot insert, followed by the seasoned pork (fat side up).
An entire 16-oz jar of Herdez brand salsa verde was poured over the pork. Chopped cilantro and serrano peppers soon followed.
The Crock Pot insert was covered with plastic wrap and stowed in the fridge until morning.
This morning, it looked pretty much just as it did last night: the cilantro even looked freshly chopped.
While I'd intended on this dish cooking for about 10 hours on low, it went for 15 hours. Looks like charcoal, eh?
Taking two forks to shred the pork, I realized -- again-- the wonder of Crock Pot cooking. The pork was just as soft as a baby's bottom, easily shredded and quite juicy with just the right amount of fatty-moisture.
Then I warmed a flour tortilla in a large skillet, tossed in some of Andy's Spicy Green Chile Pork, topped it with fresh shredded lettuce and coarsely chopped tomato.
Making a wonderful taco the size of a small burrito.
This recipe is tip-top! I loved it. Just as I'd anticipated, easy, simple, flavorful, and inexpensive. I will say that I was a little too generous with the salting as my pork turned out too salty for my preference. Next time, I'll omit the salt altogether but will go for more pepper. I'm not sure if the whole serrano's did anything. Maybe next time, I'll split them in half and then add them just to jumpstart the spice-factor.
Originally, I was planning on having some Mexican Rice and beans to accompany, but as it took me so long to even open the Crock Pot, I ate just the taco. Next time though, I'll be hookin' it up!
Cost:
- pork shoulder butt roast: $4.94
- Herdes salsa verde: $1.99
- cilantro: $0.39/bunch
- serano peppers: $0.08
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