It’s national Pork Month.
And the National Pork Board has teamed up with Costco to offer their members four weeks of pork deals.
This week, Costco is featuring boneless pork chops and roasts for $2.50 off per package.
And they are holding a recipe competition (which I’m part of), to come up withe best original everyday pork recipe.
I thought long and hard about what to make. But I decided to stick with what I know and create a recipe from my favorite food category…MEXICAN.
I love this recipe for a number of reasons.
First, you use a crockpot.
Second, it is conducive to a busy schedule. You can assemble the night before, start it when you get up in the morning, cook on high for an hour while you are getting ready, take out and place in oven when you get home, and eat by 6:15 pm.
Third, because of it’s sweet-savory taste, it is a fan favorite of big and little kids.
Fourth, it freezes really well. You can take freeze the leftovers for a quick meal later on in the month.
Fifth, it is cost-effective. Pork shoulder roasts can be bought for less than $2.00 per pound – making this a tasty meal that doesn’t break the budget.
So without further ado, the Kelly Snyder Original PorkBeInspired.com Everyday Recipe…
Machaca Pork Tacos
Here is our cast of ingredients and machinery. (Full recipe and instructions are available at the end of the post.)
After you fry the bacon, mix salt, pepper, and cumin in a small bowl. Rub mixture on all sides of pork shoulder, coating evenly. Set aside.
Then chop onions and jalapenos. Put 1/2 of mixture on bottom of crock-pot. Place roast on top of onion/pepper mixture and spoon apricot jam over roast and the rest of onion/pepper mixture.
Cover and cook on high for one to one hour and thirty minutes. Then turn to low and cook for additional eight hours. Check roast with thermometer to make sure it is done. (Did you know that the new standard for pork chops and roast is 160 to 145 degrees F, with a three-minute rest.) Looks like I over did it a little with this one, huh?
Take roast out of crockpot and place into a 9×13 glass pan. Reserve juices. Shred pork with two forks, pour reserved liquid on top, add cooked bacon, mix, and place in oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take meat out and serve immediately.
For those that just want the recipe without all the pictures, here you go.
Machaca Pork Tacos
Ingredients
4 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast
1 pound bacon
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 teaspoons fresh black pepper
4 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 cup apricot jam
3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
2 medium red onions, coarsely chopped
Flour tortillas
Fresh cilantro
Shredded cheese
Fresh lime wedges
Directions
1. Fry bacon to crisp. Chop and set aside.
2. Mix salt, pepper, and cumin in a small bowl. Rub mixture on all sides of pork shoulder, coating evenly. Set aside.
3. Chop onions and jalapenos and place into small bowl. Put 1/2 of mixture on bottom of crock-pot. Place roast on top of onion/pepper mixture.
4. Spoon apricot jam over roast. Spread evenly on all three sides.
5. Place remainder of onion/pepper mixture on top.
6. Cover and cook on high for one to one hour and thirty minutes. Then turn to low and cook for additional eight hours.
7. After roast is cooked. Turn oven on and preheat to 350 degrees.
8. Take roast out of crockpot and place into a 9×13 glass pan. Reserve juices. Shred pork with two forks, pour reserved liquid on top, add cooked bacon, mix, and place in oven for 30 minutes. (This allows the meat the juices to caramelize a little bit more.)
9. Take pork out of oven and serve immediately with flour tortillas, cheese, fresh lime, and a cold beer.
Here’s How To Enter The Giveaway
One lucky Kansas City Mamas reader will win a $25 Costco Gift Card.
To enter, just leave a comment about your favorite pork recipe.
Contest will be open till end of day on October 12, 2011. Winner will be notified by email and has 48-hours to respond before another winner is chosen. Good Luck.
Disclosure: This is a paid opportunity from Costco, the National Pork Board and TheMotherhood. The Costco Gift Card was provided to me and I have received a stipend for my recipe. However, all opinions about pork, cooking, Costco, or beer are entirely my own. Want more information? See my Disclosure Policy.