Who doesn’t love carnitas? Tender, juicy, and crispy all at the same time, they are definitely a favorite of mine!
They tend to come off as not exactly home-cook friendly though, because the meat used (typically pork shoulder) can take quite a bit of time to prepare.
This recipe for Pressure Cooker Carnitas using a multi-pot with a pressure cooker considerably cuts down the time, although I still consider this a make-ahead meal — perfect to make on a weekend and enjoy on a weeknight.
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 chipotle in adobo, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sauce from chipotle in adobo
1 (3 lb) boneless pork shoulder
1 pound pork belly (you can also just buy a 4lb boneless pork shoulder and omit the pork belly)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
For serving:
corn tortillas (my photos show blue tortillas because that’s what I had on hand. I suggest using traditional yellow corn tortillas)
Note: I was sent a Cosori Premium 6qt multicooker in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
I’m not going to lie, pressure cookers have always kind of intimidated me. I was under the impression that they were difficult to use, and easy to mess up.
Well, after trying out the Cosori Premium 6qt pressure cooker over the past couple of weeks, I’m here to tell you they are actually quite easy to use!
source: cosori.com
Pressure cookers are definitely having a moment right now, but they’ve actually been around since the 1600’s in some form or another. Pressure cookers use steam pressure to help cook food faster. When cooking tough meat, pressure cookers help tenderize the meat and cook it surprisingly quickly in the process.
source: cosori.com
The Cosori Premium 6qt pressure cooker is actually a multicooker – it’s a pressure cooker, hot pot, steamer, slow cooker, food warmer, sauté pan, yogurt maker, and rice cooker – all in one! The unit has 17 smart cooking programs, but you can also adjust the cooking time, temperature, and pressure cooking levels to customize your cooking.
source: cosori.com
I couldn’t wait to test the pressure cooker out! I immediately thought of barbacoa – super tender and shredded meat (typically lamb or beef) with seasonings, so it’s time to try making Pressure Cooker Barbacoa Beef Tacos!
We eat a lot of tacos in my house, so I knew this would be a perfect test of the pressure cooker’s ability. This recipe actually uses two of the features available -” sauté/brown” and “meat/stew” pressure cooking. The Cosori premium pressure cooker is quite large (6 quarts!), so I decided to make a huge batch for future dinners. (It’s always helpful to have a full freezer for busy fall weeknights.)
Note: If you’ve been considering purchasing the Cosori Premium 6qt pressure cooker, click on this link and use code UCS9PK3K to receive 10% off! (The code is only good through October 31, 2018, so be sure to purchase before then!)
Ingredients: (makes 12 servings)
6 garlic cloves
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 chipotle in adobo, plus 3 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
zest and juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 cups beef broth, plus a tablespoon or two, divided
There is something so fun about having breakfast for dinner. Not only is it an easy way to whip up a meal with things you probably already have on hand, but it is so nice to have something so familiar and yet out of the ordinary.
Lindsay Landis and Taylor Hackbarth (of Love and Olive Oil) have compiled a cookbook filled with breakfast treats with a spin, making them perfect for dinner. The cookbook, Breakfast for Dinner: Recipes for Fritatta Florentine, Huevos Rancheros, Sunny-Side-Up Burgers, and More! is plain drool-worthy. The photos are fantastic and each recipe sounds better than the last! It has a little bit of everything in its pages, including main dishes, appetizers, and desserts. Each recipe has an inventive twist on a traditional breakfast dish, which made it so difficult to decide which recipe to try first! When I asked my boyfriend to help choose, he responded, “Mmm… can’t we just make every one of them?”
Photo care of Quirk Books
We were finally able to decide on the Huevos Rancheros Tacos because we are big taco fans (I have 7 listed on this blog as of this post) and I loved the idea of turning Huevos Rancheros into delicious dinner!
Ingredients:
Ranchero Sauce
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 (15 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeded and chopped, plus 1/2 tablespoon adobo sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
For tacos
1 (15 ounce) can refried black beans
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
8 corn tortillas
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 large eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or oregano
Note: this recipe is reproduced from the Breakfast for Dinner cookbok
