Pork

Pressure Cooker Carnitas

March 30, 2017 by laurenpacek 7 Comments

These Pressure Cooker Carnitas are the easiest, most delicious carnitas you will ever make. Depending on how much time you have on your hands, I’ve included instructions for how to make them in either the electric pressure cooker OR slow cooker.

Pressure Cooker Carnitas | A Nerd Cooks

I have made these carnitas embarrassingly often since first discovering the recipe 3 years ago. The original recipe is for the slow cooker, which is great if you have all day, or have the presence of mind to throw everything together before you leave for work. For me, this is not always the case. After receiving an electric pressure cooker for Christmas, I decided to adapt the recipe. That way, I’m able to have carnitas in a fraction of the time.

Our favorite way to eat these carnitas is Chipotle burrito bowl-style. Toss some of this crispy yet tender pork in a bowl with some Cilantro Lime Rice and a variety of taco/bowl toppings (beans, cheese, guacamole, etc.), and you’re in business. They’re also excellent in a taco (corn tortillas, please).

The slow cooker preparation comes from Damn Delicious.

Pressure Cooker Carnitas

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican, Tex-Mex

Servings: 8 people

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic
2 onions, quartered
1 tbs chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3-4 lbs boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
2 oranges, juiced
2 limes, juiced
fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

Combine all of the spices in a small bowl. Set aside.

Instructions for pressure cooker

Cut the pork shoulder into 2- to 3-inch chunks.
Add the garlic cloves, quartered onions, and cubed pork to the electric pressure cooker insert. Sprinkle the spice mixture over everything. Using your hands, toss the garlic, onions, and pork around in the spices, rubbing the spices into the meat. Add the orange and lime juice to the pressure cooker.
Place the lid on and lock it. Cook for 25 minutes on high pressure. Depending on your preference, you can allow the pressure to release naturally or do a quick release.

Instructions for the slow cooker

Add the garlic cloves, quartered onions, and pork to the slow cooker. Sprinkle the spice mixture over everything. Using your hands, toss the garlic, onions, and pork around in the spices, rubbing the spices into the meat. Add the orange and lime juice to the slow cooker.
Put the lid on and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Instructions for both preparations after meat is finished cooking

Now that the pork shoulder is cooked through, you'll want to crisp things up a bit. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the pork from to a baking sheet lined with foil, and shred the meat. Spoon some of the juices and onions that are left over onto the shredded meat. Broil for 2-3 minutes.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven and toss the meat around a bit with tongs. Pour some more of the juices over the meat and broil for 2-3 additional minutes.
Remove from the oven, top with chopped cilantro, and serve immediately.

Pressure Cooker Carnitas | A Nerd Cooks

Garlic and Herb Grilled Pork Tenderloin

June 14, 2014 by laurenpacek 3 Comments

A couple of friends came to visit yesterday, and I was able to fire up the grill for the first time in our new house. (More on the move to come, once the place is fully unpacked and isn’t such a disaster area)

This recipe was adapted from one found on Tide & Thyme.

You’ll need:

2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp kosher salt
black pepper, to taste
~2 lbs pork tenderloin

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the pork. Rub the marinade all over the pork tenderloin. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes – 4 hours, until ready to grill.

Prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire on your charcoal grill or preheat your gas grill to medium-high. Grill for 15-20 minutes, turning so all sides get browned, or until a meat thermometer reads at least 155 degrees F.

Transfer the meat to a serving platter, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Then slice into that bad boy and eat!

Creamy Baked Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

October 3, 2013 by laurenpacek Leave a Comment

Let me just start this off by saying that after taking his first bite, Sean stopped and said “Baby, this is ballin’.” So… yeah. I’d say we have a winner here.

Oh, yeah. And sorry I’m not sorry that this contains pumpkin ;).

This recipe is adapted from Leave a Happy Plate.

You’ll need:

1 box short cut pasta (I used rigatoni)
1 tbs olive oil
1 large white onion, halved and sliced thinly into half moons
1-2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 lb ground sausage
1/2 cup plain Chobani Greek yogurt
1 cup pumpkin puree
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus a little more for topping

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, minus 1 minute. Drain and set the cooked pasta aside.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large oven-safe skillet/pan/dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, crumbling as you go. Remove the sausage from the pan and allow it to drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Add the olive oil to the pan. When the oil is nice and hot, add the sliced onions and fennel seeds. Sauté the onions until they are softened.

While the onions are cooking, combine the yogurt, pumpkin, heavy cream, chili powder, and cheese in a mixing bowl.

Mix the pasta, onions, and sausage in the pan. Pour the yogurt/pumpkin mixture over the top and stir until everything is nicely coated.

Top with some more parmesan cheese, and bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

Crock Pot Brown and Maple Sugar Pork Tenderloin

July 5, 2013 by laurenpacek 1 Comment

Everyone loves a good crock pot recipe, amirite? Here’s another easy, tasty one that will make your life easier on days when you just really don’t feel like/have the time to cook.

This recipe came from Your Homebased Mom.

You’ll need:

2 lbs pork tenderloin (I used one that was like 4 lbs, and this amount of sauce was fine)
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs real maple syrup
4 tbs Dijon mustard
2 tbs honey
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbs cornstarch
1 tbs cold water

Put the pork in a slow cooker. Salt and pepper the meat.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, maple syrup, mustard, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, and thyme. Mix well. Pour over the pork, turning to coat.

Cook on low 7-9 hours or high 3-4 hours.

Once it’s done, remove the pork from the crock pot and cover with foil. Put the juices in a small sauce pan and simmer 8-10 minutes. Combine the cornstarch and water. Add this to the simmering juices and whisk, cooking for a minute or so longer.

Pour the thickened juices over the pork. Shred a bit and enjoy!

Grammy’s Ham Barbecue Sandwiches

March 25, 2013 by laurenpacek 3 Comments

My husband and I, along with a group of friends, recently spent a long weekend at a cabin in West Virginia. We had such a good time that we’re already talking about staying there again next year. Our time was spent catching up with one another, walking around in the woods, feeding some nearly-tame deer, and doing a lot of eating and drinking (of course). I made these sandwiches for the group for lunch one day. I just wanted to share a few pictures from the trip with you, too. It was really beautiful there.

They came right up to our cabin! We even had the doe eating out of our hands a few times.

So, this may not be news to some of you, and I didn’t initially realize this but apparently ham barbecue sandwiches are a regional thing! It first occurred to me when a friend from South Carolina had no idea what I was talking about when I offered her one. If you aren’t from the Western PA/Ohio/etc. area, and have never heard of them, please give ham barbecues a try! They’re great at a picnic.

I got this recipe from my Grammy, who will often make these for family gatherings, especially in the summertime.

You’ll need:

1/2 stick of butter
1 small onion, chopped
3 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar)
1 bottle ketchup
1 bottle’s worth of water*
Chipped ham**, as much as desired
Sandwich buns

Sautee the onion in the butter until the onions are translucent. Add the brown sugar and vinegar and saute for 3 more minutes.

Add the ketchup and water. Stir to combine. Heat through, 5-10 minutes. Add the chipped ham.

I typically put the ham and sauce into a slow cooker and keep it warm that way. It’s particularly convenient if you’re feeding a crowd, or if you’re serving them at a cookout/picnic.

To serve, add as much ham and sauce to a sandwich bun as you’d like. Enjoy!

*You can always stretch the sauce by thinning it with more water

**For those of you outside of Western PA, just ask for ham that is sliced or shaved very thinly.

Sausage & Kale Mock Lasagna Casserole

February 27, 2012 by laurenpacek 1 Comment

So yeah, I suck. I’m averaging only slightly more than 1 recipe per week in the month of February. Sorry guys. I’m in a bit of a rut.

I found this recipe on Kalyn’s Kitchen. Since I’m on a bit of a kale kick lately, I thought it would be a good way to use up a good portion of the gigantic bag that we picked up at the grocery store. It’s definitely a winner.

You’ll need:

2 medium-sized bunches of kale (I used ~3/4 of a big bag that I bought at the grocery store)
1 tsp salt (for water to cook kale)
2 tsp olive oil
19.5 oz. tube of Italian sausage
1 jar tomato sauce
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp ground fennel
parmesan cheese, shredded
2 cups reduced fat mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×12 inch casserole dish (or a pan of comparable size) with cooking spray.

Add the salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil. If necessary, trim the stems from the kale and cut into ribbons. When the water begins boiling, add the kale and lower the heat. Boil for 5-6 minutes. The kale will turn a beautiful bright green. Drain the kale into a colander and let it sit there and continue to drain while you deal with the rest of the ingredients. You might want to squeeze it between some paper towels before using to squeeze out some of the remaining water.

While the kale cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and crumble the sausage until it is browned and totally cooked through. Then add the pasta sauce, dried basil, and ground fennel. Let it simmer for 20 minutes or so, or until it reduces a bit.

In the casserole dish, layer half of the kale and sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top. Then add half of he pasta/sausage, and 1 cup of mozzarella.

I did it out of order, but you know… it all works out in the end.

Repeat with another layer of kale, sauce, and cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20. The casserole will be bubbling by this point.

Let the casserole sit for about 5 minutes after baking before digging in.

This was excellent. Before we were even finished eating, Sean asked if I would make it again sometime. I plan on doing so this week. It’s a relatively guilt free way to get your lasagna fix. I’d highly recommend it! Enjoy!