Pork Carnitas and Avocado Salsa

Look what I got in the mail!!

(Click here to read about how I am a "Devo Diva"!)

Devo Olive Oil Co. September Flavors!!  

As soon as I tasted them, I knew exactly what I wanted to make!

#1: Avocado salsa

You need:
2 avocados, diced
1/4 purple onion, finely chopped
2 T. jalapeno white balsamic vinegar (This stuff is amazing)
salt
pepper

That's it!! Mix it in a bowl. The flavor is pretty amazing! Not spicy... just flavorful and a tad bit sweet.

We ate pork carnitas at Heather and Tony's house in Anaheim a few weeks ago, and I have been thinking about them since! Heather graciously shared the recipe with me. :) It's originally from "The Clothes Make the Girl" blog, but click here for a tutorial from another blog. Perfect dish to top with my avocado salsa! (The avocado salsa would be great on chicken or just to dip with chips!)

Here is the recipe:
(Copied from The Clothes Make the Girl) 

Stovetop Pork Carnitas

Ingredients:
3-4 lbs. pork shoulder, boneless or bone-in
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 heaping (!) tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
1. Cut the pork shoulder into a few large chunks. You don’t want them bite-sized; I make mine about 3-4 inches.
2. Mix cumin, garlic powder, salt, coriander, black pepper, and cayenne together in a small bowl. Place the pork chunks in a plastic container with a lid or a Ziploc bag. Pour in the spice blend, then toss the bag vigorously until the chunks are completely coated on all sides.
3. Place the pork in a large, deep pan. Pour the lime and lemon juice into the bottom, then add water to just cover the meat.
4. Turn heat to high and bring the water to a rip-roaring boil. You want big bubbles! When it’s rolling, turn the heat to a simmer. Keep the pan uncovered. You want it bubble a fair amount, but not be a roiling boil.  While it’s cooking, it will look like uninspired soup. Do not be discouraged! Essentially, you’re waiting for the water to evaporate from the pan, but while the water is evaporating, the powerful acidic qualities of the lime and lemon juice are tenderizing the meat. Yay, science!
5. At about the 2-hour mark, check the pot. The water should be much lower and maybe even almost gone. Now things get interesting… allow all the water to cook out of the pan and watch as the meat magically fries and carmelizes. It is a thing of beauty. But seriously, you need to watch it at this point.
6. Carefully turn the hunks of meat – without shredding them – to brown all sides, then remove the hunks  to a plate and let them rest for 5 minutes before eating. If you’re into this sort of thing, you can save the pork fat from the bottom of the pan in a glass jar and use it for other cooking projects.

What to do with pork carnitas…

• Eat it like an animal.
• Serve on a plate with avocado slices, pineapple chunks, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.
• Cut into cubes and use in paleo egg foo yung.
• Shred, wrap in butter lettuce leaves, and drizzle with Sunshine Sauce.
• Eat alongside creamy cucumber salad made with homemade mayo.
• Shred and saute in coconut oil with shredded cabbage, onion, and a sprinkle of caraway seeds.

Stay tuned to see what I make with the cilantro and roasted onion olive oil from Devo! And check out Devo's website to look at their products, either for you or as a gift!