While my mom was visiting, we didn't just organize. We spent the morning doing a few cleaning items before having a great lunch together with some shopping. While all this was going on, those poor pups of mine were stuck in the kitchen smelling some delicious pork that was cooking in the slow cooker.
Those poor pups.
Really, life isn't bad for them by any means. They did get a treat when we got home - no worries. But we also received a treat by smelling the amazing pork. With a savory, Southern dish out of the way, I wanted to show my mom something different. So, I settled on enchiladas, pulled pork style. Why pulled pork? Well, I normally prefer chicken, but my mom craves beef. So, I settled on pork as a happy medium. And a happy medium indeed.
This recipe is so simple. A handful of onions here, some cheese there. It all comes together perfectly for a great dinner (and leftover lunch). I didn't add too much spice this time around, though I could have easily kicked it up a notch or two. But the flavors were there and my mom loved every bite (right mom?) At least she said so. And I believe her.
Slow Cooker Pork Enchiladas
Ingredients
- Pork shoulder - about 3 or 4 lbs. Trust me, you'll have leftovers, but that's okay. Think more meals = more deliciousness.
- Enchilada sauce. Homemade or canned, just make sure it is good. I buy a large can, about 28 oz.
- Tortillas - the amount demands on how much you want to make. I used 10 flour taco sized this time around.
- Onion, chopped. I used a sweet, but a yellow or white onion would work too.
- Garlic, one clove chopped.
- Cilantro. A good handful of it (that is, if you like). If you don't like it, omit it. But think a cup's worth.
- Black beans, drained and rinsed. Once again, this is optional.
- Monterey Jack cheese, shredded - about 8 oz. or 12 oz. I like cheese, so I go the 12 oz. route.
The night before, marinate the pork shoulder in the enchilada sauce. Only use half of the sauce, and cut up the shoulder if you need to. Works best in the plastic bags so it can marinate a little bit better together. Note: when making this, I thought it would be a good idea to use all of the enchilada sauce. I ended up having to make a sauce out of it later, which worked lovely. However, if you aren't a corn starch lover or person who likes to make your own sauce, save half of the enchilada sauce. Trust me.
In the morning, before you go shopping with your momma, put that pork and all the marinate in the slow cooker. This can cook on low for about 8 hours or on high for around 5. The beauty of a slow cooker is that it is okay if it sits longer. Really. As long as you don't let it get crusty and bake a crust when it shouldn't have one (yes - you can make a cake in a slow cooker. I promise, I've done it.), you are good to go.
When you get home, remove the pork and shred it. Now, I divided my pork shoulder into two batches. I froze one batch for a rainy day. The other batch was for the enchiladas. To get the filling started while that pork sits there, saute up some garlic for a few minutes and add the chopped onions. Cook that until fragrant, about 3 minutes. I added a can of black beans, drained and rinsed, at this point because I had them. But if you don't like them or have them, that's okay too. If I had corn,I would have added that too. But alas, no corn. Sad face.
Once all this is mixed together, it is time to make the enchilada rolls. But first, pour about a cup of that enchilada mix into a cake pan. The long pan - the 13x5 or whatever the measurement is - pan. Take a shell, add some cheese (or if you are like me, a little more) and then add about 1/3 cup of your pork mix. Roll it up and place seam side down in a pan. I made 10 of these in one pan and it worked perfectly. I did have some pork mixture leftover, so I decided to freeze it as is and make enchiladas again in the near future.
Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the rolls and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Then bake, covered with aluminum foil, for about 15-20 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Remove the foil and broil for a few minutes to get the top all melted and slightly browned. Top with sour cream, pico/salsa and more cilantro. Nom.
Labels:
Enchiladas,
In the Kitchen,
Mexican,
Shiba Inu,
Slow Cooker
I'm a birthday brat. I have claimed the whole month as my celebration. I believe this is because both my brothers have their birthdays in April too. And growing up, it always seemed like it was really a month of birthdays.
Really, life isn't bad for them by any means. They did get a treat when we got home - no worries. But we also received a treat by smelling the amazing pork. With a savory, Southern dish out of the way, I wanted to show my mom something different. So, I settled on enchiladas, pulled pork style. Why pulled pork? Well, I normally prefer chicken, but my mom craves beef. So, I settled on pork as a happy medium. And a happy medium indeed.
As many of you know, hubs is a homebrewer. I personally think he is quite good at what he does - and no, this isn't because I'm biased! I'm not too involved in the process, I do a lot of watching. Once in a while, I may pick up the paddle and stir, other times I may watch the timer while he does something else, add some hops here and there. But really, my involvement usually comes when it is in a glass and ready to be consumed.
