Monday, April 6, 2015

Carnitas Tostadas with Strawberry Salsa

Carnitas Tostadas with Strawberry Salsa

Slow cooker pork carnitas tossed with sweet & spicy strawberry salsa and served on fresh corn tortillas for a Springtime tostada.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/carnitas-tostadas-with-strawberry-salsa.html

Last week was Spring break and we planned an Epic Midwestern Loop. We'd visit friends and factory tours, literary and artistic venues, natural wonders and iconic American landmarks. I came down with a cold at the first stop on our tour and messed up our plans. Instead of spending the week driving around the midwest, we were headed back home after just a few days.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/carnitas-tostadas-with-strawberry-salsa.html
Best costumed interpreter ever.
Yes, we did manage to drink freshly brewed beer and learn what the whole 'beechwood aged' thing was all about, ride to the top of the arch in a tiny barrel, and see both the Louisiana Purchase document and the World's Largest Golf Tee. It wasn't a total bust.
http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/carnitas-tostadas-with-strawberry-salsa.html

Returning home unexpectedly meant that not only did I not have any food in the house, I also didn't have a food plan for the week. My amazing spouse picked up milk, salad, and pizzas while the dogs reunited with the kids and I tried not to blow out the contents of my skull, one tissue at a time.

I had the foggy idea to rummage around in the freezer and was rewarded with a few meals for the kids to make. This recipe is not the result of some gorked-out by cold medicine creativity. As if--I wasn't cooking much less photographing or eating food. I'm getting to my point in a minute. My daughter thawed taco meat and corn to make nachos one night, we had spaghetti with sauce from roasted vegetables another night, and my son emptied the little freezer so I could rearrange and rediscover some leftover Chinese food I'd planned to stretch/reimagine. We survived/thrived.


http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/carnitas-tostadas-with-strawberry-salsa.html

My point is this:  if you eat meat, buy the big hunk of ________ [in this recipe a pork shoulder/Boston butt], cook it, and freeze a 'your family size' portion. It's so much easier to plan a meal around a ready-to-go protein than to stand in the kitchen cluelessly wondering where to start.

When we eat at Chipotle, carnitas is our favorite protein. When I make it at home we've got easily 12 to 15 servings which is a bit much for our family of 4--even with 2 teens who love meat. I automatically freeze half of the cooked and cooled meat, knowing that when I pull it out again the effort of initial cooking is done and I just get to play.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/carnitas-tostadas-with-strawberry-salsa.html

These tostadas are a nice Spring meal. While they are warm and filling for a cool evening, the sweet spiciness of the strawberry salsa reminds me that our berry patch is waking up and I'll soon be savoring fresh strawberries. [I'll wait for the local ones. Life is too short to eat flavorless food.]

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/carnitas-tostadas-with-strawberry-salsa.html

[It's interesting what comes out of my pen when I wake up at 3 am because I have not been coughing.  Yes, I woke up concerned because I was not coughing. I know. Weird. Just try the recipe.]


http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/carnitas-tostadas-with-strawberry-salsa.html
Love the strawberry seeds in this photo.


Carnitas Tostadas with Strawberry Salsa (serves 4)

8 corn tortillas (I use the raw ones and cook them according to package directions)
½ cup strawberry salsa (here's how I make mine)
2 cups prepared carnitas (I used this terrific recipe--don't forget the final step of crisping in oven)
1½ cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
to serve, chopped peppers, red onion, and guacamole (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay cooked tortillas on a backing sheet and spread with a tablespoon of strawberry salsa. Top with crisped carnitas, about ¼ cup per tortilla. Top with a handful of cheese. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes until tortilla is warmed and cheese is melted. Add optional toppings--peppers, guacamole, red onion. Enjoy!

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/carnitas-tostadas-with-strawberry-salsa.html
For extra credit I will now illustrate telophase.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/04/carnitas-tostadas-with-strawberry-salsa.html
Behind the scenes--I ran out of daylight with the first batch, then ran out of guacamole before the second batch. My daughter's leftover lunch on the kitchen counter.

20 comments:

  1. "Life is too short to eat flavorless food." Love it!! So true too. These look great! I'll have to remember to freeze some shredded meat straight from the crock pot next time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Beth,
      I'm just tickled I thought ahead enough to freeze a bunch of kalua pig so I can bring it for lunch at the thrift shop next week. My brother gave me a seal a meal for Christmas and I have been playing!
      Thanks!

      Delete
  2. What a great way to salvage dinner. I love the idea of the strawberry salsa on top of tacos!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Christie,
      At first I was hoarding all the strawberry salsa, now I'm letting it flow fast and loose since I know I can make more soon!
      Thanks!

      Delete
  3. I love carnitas served in any fashion and strawberry salsa sounds like a fantastic addition to try!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Judy,
      Me, too. It's always a bummer when we'd arrive at Chipotle anticipating Carnitas only to find it unavailable. I'm glad there's such a delicious recipe I can make at home.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  4. I love when I just get to "play" in the kitchen. That's when all the magic happens! Strawberry salsa is a favorite of mine. It usually takes the place of my standard Pico de Gallo in the spring and early summer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lauren,
      It's pretty awesome when magic happens in the kitchen. Even better when the family agrees and there's enough for leftovers!
      Thanks!

      Delete
  5. I am a big fan of having all sorts of things in my freezer to make meals easier! Hope you are feeling better!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pam,
      I could make a whole host of things if the power were to go out and we needed to empty the freezers--from the little kids to the old folks, from the vegetarians to the paleo folks--I could set up my neighbors!
      Thanks!

      Delete
  6. The idea of strawberry salsa is intriguing and delicious all at the same time. I'm picturing it on bruschetta or a grilled cheese.

    I hope you're feeling better soon and you didn't completely exhale the contents of your head, although I'm sure it felt like that at times.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meghan,
      My goodness that's a terrific idea. I have a bit of queso, I think I'll have to try that for my girlie's lunch this week!
      Other than the lingering cough which sends me to the bathroom to make sure my bladder is empty at all times just in case, I'm good.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  7. Wow what an interesting flavor combo! Kind of digging the idea of a strawberry salsa. We love carnitas at our house too. I always buy one pork shoulder and it makes us a few meals throughout the week. One of our fave time savers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Des,
      The strawberry salsa is a pretty awesome flavor. I have straight up salsa, and salsa verde, and cranberry salsa--and of course my spouse wants to mindlessly shovel salsa and doesn't want to demolish 'the good salsa' when he's in mindless mode--but my favorite is dunking chips into the strawberry. It has just enough cling to coat a chip.
      Now I have a hankering for a margarita!
      Thanks!

      Delete
  8. What a great meal. I'm going to have to try the strawberry salsa, I bet it's wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanie,
      I'm hoping I've got this recipe out there for future strawberry ideas as well as 'all things Cinco de Mayo' like my brain switches to after Easter.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  9. Crispy carnitas with strawberry salsa sound fantastic! I really want to taste those flavors together. I bet it's fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sandra,
      I love it when strawberry season comes around--so many good flavors to pair together.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  10. Kirstin, this sounds like a flavour sensation- Salty carnitas with a sweet/savoury salsa- How soon can we fedex this to Australia?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arman,
      I'll try and get right on that, though I'd prefer to deliver it person since my spouse rubs it in that he's been Down Under and I have not.
      Thanks!

      Delete