Saturday, March 2, 2013

Pork Carnitas & Coconut Flour Tortillas

 Michael and I love Mexican food, but it can be a challenge when you're grain-free.  This meal was a five-star winner, and we'll be doing it again this next month.  While it takes some time to marinate and then slow cook the pork, actual hands-on preparation is easy and doesn't take long at all.  The coconut flour tortillas, while not being flour tortilla clones, have the right qualities for a tortilla - soft, pliable, don't split, neutral taste, and lets you pick up and hold the goodies inside.

Pork Carnitas

3.5 lb pork roast (we used a Boston butt roast)
3 limes
Celtic sea salt
1 head garlic, peeled and separated, cloves sliced

1 T chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
3 T bacon grease or lard
1/2 cup beef or chicken broth

Put the pork roast into the crock of your slow cooker and stab it a few times.  Squeeze the juice of the 3 limes all over the pork, flipping it once to coat the roast, and sprinkle generously with salt.   Cover, and refrigerate overnight.


Put the crock into your slow cooker - no need to drain - and add the seasonings and garlic.  Set pats of bacon grease on the pork (it's ok - carnitas are not supposed to be dry!), and pour broth over all.

Cook on LOW for 10 hours.

An hour before serving, take pork out of crock and set in a large bowl.  With a pair of forks, shred the pork - it's very tender, so this is a fast and easy job.  If there are any large bits of fat in the pot, shred that into the pork, too.  Turn the shredded pork back into the crock and cook on low for an additional hour, while you prepare the rest of the meal.

When everything's ready, scoop a serving of carnitas onto a tortilla and top with whatever you like.

Topping ideas: diced onion, lettuce, tomato, avocado slices, olives, salsa, guacamole, sour cream or thickened yogurt, shredded cheese, jalepeno slices, cilantro...  Set it all out and let everyone top their own.

Coconut Flour Tortillas
Makes 6.

As I mentioned earlier, these aren't going to fool anyone into thinking it's a flour tortilla, but they do the job nicely.  They are more like crepes, I think.  The flaxseed is optional, but it added a little savory note that reminded me of corn tortillas, and I liked them a lot better with it than without.

1/4 cup coconut flour, sifted
2 T. ground golden flaxseed
1/2 cup egg whites (throw the yolks into a smoothie or make mayo with them or something)
2 eggs
1/3 cup whole milk plain yogurt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. celtic sea salt
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder
Butter for the pan

Mix together everything except the butter.  You can do this with a mixer, although I just used a whisk and it was fine.  Let the batter sit for about 10 minutes - the coconut flour will soak up a lot of liquid and expand.  The batter will still be somewhat thin.

Coat a heated pan or griddle with butter - it should be hot, but not to the point of smoking and burning the butter (err on the side of less heat rather than more).  Scoop about a 1/4 cup batter into the pan and then use a spatula to carefully spread the batter out in a larger circle as thinly as possible without putting holes in it (if you do, just scoop a bit of batter to fill in the hole).  Let it cook for about a minute and a half until bubbles form on the top, and then flip it, cooking the other side for an additional minute.  Turn out onto a plate and continue with the remaining batter.

Prep the toppings for the carnitas (or ask a family member to do it), set everything out and let everyone put their meal together.


Yum!

This recipe was adapted slightly from one published March 2012 issue of  Real Food and Health , by Sarah Smith of Nourished and Nurtured.  If you haven't yet discovered Real Food and Health, you should check it out - available for Kindle, Nook, as a PDF file or print-on-demand, each month is packed full of great recipes and tips for healthy, traditional living.  I've been subscribed since the beginning, and every issue is a keeper.

Shared with: No-Rules Weekend, Your Great Idea Link Party, A Favorite Thing, Sweet Saturday Link Party, Show & Tell Saturday, Simply Natural Saturday, One Creative Weekend, Get Schooled Saturday, Creative HomeAcre Blog Hop, Think Pink Sunday, Sunday Show Off Linky Party, Sunday School Blog Carnival, Craft-Create-Inspire Linky Party, Just Something I Whipped Up, Creative Bloggers Party & Hop, Thank Goodness It's Monday, Nomday Monday, Motivated Monday, Motivate Me Monday, Mostly Homemade Monday, Mop It Up Monday, Monday Funday, Mix It Up Monday, Marvelous Monday, Manic Monday Linky Party, MYHSM Linky Party, Make It Yourself Monday, Made By You Monday, Homestead Barn Hop, Craft-o-Maniac Monday, Busy Monday, Clever Chicks Blog Hop, On the Menu Monday, Menu Monday Plan, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Mealtime Monday, Make Your Own Monday, Gluten-Free Meal Plan, Mondays with Countrified Hicks, The Gathering Spot, Natural Living MondayYou're Gonna Love It, Eco-Kids Tuesday, Tutorial Tuesday, Tuesday Greens, Trick or Treat Tuesday, Backyard Farming Connection, Anti-Procrastination Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Hearth & Soul Hop, Fat Tuesday, Family Table Tuesday, How-To Tuesday Link Party, Eat-Pray-Love, Whimsy Wednesday, Waste Not Want Not Wednesday, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways, Flusters Creative Muster Party, Creative Spark, Wonderful Wednesday, Allergy-Free Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Whole Foods Wednesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Wellness Wednesday, Two Girls and a Party, Show & Tell Wednesday, Seasonal Celebration Wednesday, Party Wave Wednesday, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Down Home Blog Hop, Wheat Free Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Gluten-Free Wednesday, Fresh Foods Wednesday, Thursday's Treasures, Thursday Favorite Things, Transformation Thursday, Thank Your Body Thursday, The HomeAcre Hop, Hookin' Up with HoH, Creative Juice, Full Plate ThursdayPennywise Platter Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Show & Tell Friday, Frugal Friday, Friday Favorites, Freedom Fridays, Farm Girl Blog Fest, LHITS DIY Link-Up, What I Am Eating, Gluten-Free Fridays, Fresh Bites Friday, Foodie Friends Friday, Foodie Friday, Simple Living Foodie Friday, Foodtastic Friday, Fight Back Friday,  Weekend Show Off Party.                    

25 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing this recipe on A Favorite Thing!

    xo
    Claudia

    ReplyDelete
  2. I may just have to give the tortillas a try. I know there are low carb ones available but tend to avoid them because they are not grain-free.

    Blessings!
    Gail

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well, they look really yummy and I have to admit that I have wondered what a "carnita" was! Thank you for linking up to "Making Your Home Sing Monday" today!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Those look so good...Thank you for sharing with the Clever Chicks Blog Hop this week; I hope you’ll join us again!


    Cheers,
    Kathy Shea Mormino

    The Chicken Chick

    http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh my! YUM! Printing this one out. Hopped over from the Tempt My Tummy hop.

    Julia @ Mom on the Run x2

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi, Lynda. Wow, that looks AMAZING! Love it! And I've never heard of using coconut flour for tortillas--so creative and healthful! Thank you SO much for linking up with Nomday Monday. Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  7. These look wonderful! Just yesterday I was searching through pinterest for a carnitas recipe, great timing!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yummy! You always share such tasty looking treats on our link-up :). I'll need to try this. And I agree - heavens no, don't throw those yolks aways! I throw whites away all of the time, but yolks are great for so many things.

    ReplyDelete
  9. OOOH sounds delish! Coconut tortillas?! I have got to try those.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your recipes sounds so yummy! Thanks for sharing this on Wildcrafting Wednesday!

    ReplyDelete
  11. These sound amazing....can't wait to try the coconut flour tortillas. I cut out sugar, grain and soy about a week ago and feel so much better for it. Enjoy your weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Lynda,
    This is sure a great meal that we would really enjoy! Thank you so much for sharing this special recipe with Full Plate Thursday and enjoy your weekend.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete
  13. I like the idea of using coconut flour to make the tortillas, I haven't tried it, but it sounds like a good alternative to regular flour. Thanks for sharing on Hearth & Soul Hop. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh, don't you just love when you find a way to have the foods you want without the ingredients you don't? I love love love carnitas, and while I'm a regular flour tortilla gal, I totally feel you on wanting to enjoy it without the stuff you don't want!

    Thanks for sharing at the Farm Girl Blog Fest this week! We hope to see you again next week!

    ~Kristi@Let This Mind Be in You

    ReplyDelete
  15. This looks delicious! I would love for you to share this or any of your great ideas at the link party going on now (and every Saturday through Tuesday) at 'Or so she says ...' Hope to see you there! www.oneshetwoshe.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Looks like a really delicious meal. Thanks for sharing it with us on foodie friday.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow, those coconut flour tortillas look great :)

    Thanks so much for sharing this on Waste Not Want Not Wednesday :) I’ve pinned it.

    ReplyDelete
  18. This sounds so good. I am making a note of it for later this week. Thanks for motivating me. :D
    p

    ReplyDelete
  19. This sounds delish! Visiting from What I Am Eating. Have a great Monday!

    ReplyDelete
  20. This sounds wonderful. I can't wait to make the Coconut Flour Tortillas. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Yay GF tortillas.. or close enough!!

    Thanks for sharing with us at Eco-Kids Tuesday!! Hope you stop by again today! http://likemamalikedaughter.blogspot.com/2013/03/nifty-thrifting-at-eco-kids-tuesday.html

    ReplyDelete
  22. This looks absolutely *amazing*. Wow. Thank you so much for sharing. I will add this to my list of things I'd love to try and yay! for lard. :) Hope to see you again at this week's HomeAcre Hop!

    ~Jenny

    http://blackfoxhomestead.com/the-homeacre-hop/the-homeacre-hop-10/

    ReplyDelete
  23. What an innovative tortilla recipe. They look absolutely fabulous. Thanks for sharing on Thursdays Treasues.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thank you for sharing your post with us and I hope to welcome you over at Seasonal Celebration again today! Rebecca @Natural Mothers Network x

    ReplyDelete
  25. The coconut tortillas look awesome! Got it tweeted and pinned! Thanks for linking up at Gluten Free Fridays!

    ReplyDelete