On an episode of “Mexico – One Plate At A Time”, Rick Bayless mentioned his Pork Tinga recipe which apparently was the best thing ever according to his daughter.  I filed that recipe in my mental “must try” recipe box.  The other day, while in the grocery store, I saw a gorgeous cut of pork that was on sale and thought “No time like the present” as I was craving some seriously good tacos for dinner.

While it takes some time, I have to tell you that patience is your friend when it comes to this dish.  I caught the sous chef more than once pacing in front of the slow cooker due to the aroma wafting through the house.

Now, substitution wise – I could not find any Queso Fresco nor chorizo in the grocery store so I substituted a mild feta cheese and hot italian sausage.  The flavors were amazing and I also added some creme fraiche (or sour cream for a substitute) to cut on the heat.  I’m still a novice when it comes to all things spice but this heat was “good heat”.  I could only handle one (big) chipotle pepper and that little thing packs a punch!

This is tried & true and would be a great addition to any Superbowl festivities.  Now that’s a touchdown if I ever saw one.

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PORK TINGA WITH POTATOES, AVOCADO AND FRESH CHEESE

Recipe Courtesy of Rick Bayless

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
• 1 pound lean, boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 ounces chorizo sausage, removed from its casing (I substituted Italian sausage)
• 4  to 5 medium (about 3/4 pound total) red-skinned potatoes, quartered
• 1 large white onion, sliced 1/4–inch thick
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1  28-ounce can diced tomatoes, in juice (preferably fire-roasted)
• 2 to 3 canned chipotle chiles, en adobo, finely chopped
• 4 teaspoons chipotle canning sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• Salt
• About 1/2 cup crumbled Mexican queso fresco or other fresh cheese like salted pressed farmers cheese (or mild feta)
• 1 ripe avocado, pitted, flesh scooped from the skin and diced
• Warm corn tortillas (I used flour)

Directions

Heat the oil in a stovetop-rated slow cooker liner over medium-high heat.  (If your slow cooker liner isn’t made from a material that can be used on a stovetop, use a very large (12-inch) non-stick skillet.) Once the oil is very hot, add the pork and chorizo in an single layer and cook, stirring until the meat has browned, about  6 to 8 minutes.  Turn off the heat and if you’re using a skillet, transfer the meat and its juices into the slow cooker.  Add the potatoes.

In a large bowl, combine the onions, garlic, tomatoes, chipotles, adobo sauce, Worcestershire, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Pour mixture into the slow cooker and stir to mix thoroughly.  Cook for 6 hours at the highest temperature.   

After six hours, gently stir the tinga.  If the sauce seems too thick, stir in a little water.  Taste, and season with salt if you think the dish needs it.   Scoop into a large bowl, sprinkle with the fresh cheese and diced avocado, and serve with warm tortillas.

(Note, I made an avocado cream with a bit of lime to drizzle over the top – delish)

Lining Up The Ingredients

This Little Chipotle Packs A Punch!

All The Fixins’ To Go With The Pork Tinga

The Final Product…

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