Pork Carnitas Pizza

Pork Carnitas Pizza

Mildly sweet and spicy, this is a unique spin on pizza. Our Family likes it. You can make the carnitas in advance but it is super easy to make 4 hours before dinner. You will have leftover meat too. Think salad topper, burrito or taco filling... Oh joy.

You can make this easy pizza dough in advance and store it in the refrigerator as well. I don't even roll it out, I just pat it with oiled fingers right in the baking sheet. Nice.

The honey drizzle on top may sound unusual, but trust me, it adds the perfect touch.



Pork Carnitas Pizza Recipe:

Carnitas:

2 t. chili powder
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. BioSalt or sea salt
1/2 t. onion powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper
3 to 4 pound pork roast, fresh or thawed
1 T. deodorized coconut oil
24 ounces pineapple juice (you may also use mango juice)


Pizza:

1 recipe pizza dough (recipe follows)
Deodorized coconut oil, as needed
1 c. prepared tomatillo salsa
12 ounces shredded mozzarella
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 large mild green chili pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1 pinch baking soda
1 pinch sea salt
Olive oil for drizzling
Honey for drizzling
4 scallions, minced
1/4 c. minced fresh cilantro, for serving
Green tomatillo salsa, for serving
Guacamole, for serving
Sour cream, for serving


Method:

Carnitas:

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.

Mix the spices and salt together. Rub onto the entire surface of the pork meat.

Heat a large dutch oven (with a tight-fitting lid) on medium-high, add the coconut oil and sear the roast on all sides until brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Pour the pineapple juice over the roast, cover and place in the preheated oven for about 4 hours, or until the meat is fall-apart tender.

Shred the meat in the pot with 2 forks, stir into the juice and cover to keep warm.


Pizza:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Saute the onion and peppers in a bit of deodorized coconut oil, plus a pinch of baking soda and sea salt, until nicely caramelized.

Brush a rimmed baking sheet with coconut oil.

Flip the pizza dough from the bowl to the baking sheet and evenly pat dough out to the edges.

Spread a thin layer of tomatillo salsa over the dough. Top with mozzarella. Then top with carmelized onions and peppers.

Bake the pizza for 14 minutes, or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Pull the pizza from the oven. Cut into 8 slices with kitchen shears. Top each slice with a generous amount of the Carnitas, then drizzle with honey and a little olive oil. Sprinkle  the top with scallions and cilantro and serve immediately.



Pizza Dough Recipe:

1 scant tsp. instant yeast (like SAF)
1 pinch sugar or a few drops of raw honey
3/4 c. warm water
2 c. all-purpose flour (or 50/50 blend of white and whole wheat flour)
1 heaping 1/2 t. BioSalt or sea salt
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil


Method:

It a stand mixer with paddle attachment, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and let proof 10 minutes.

Pour in salt, olive oil, and then the flour and mix on low until fully combined and balled up around the paddle.

Scrape out the dough, oil the bowl and place the dough ball back inside the oiled bowl. Rub a bit of oil on top of the dough.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp clean cloth and let rise for an hour before using.

You may also chill the dough for up to a week, and use for pizza later. This recipe doubles or triples well.



Photos of the Process:

Enjoy, 

Leila.

Marinated B-B-Q Lamb Chops - Greek Style & Super Delicious!

Easy Greek B-B-Q Lamb

This recipe is so simple to prepare and so tasty! The marinade compliments lamb perfectly. This is another of my mother's delicious recipes and I think you will love it as I do.

I prefer domestic lamb over imported lamb, by the way. I have some good friends who have lambing operations in Utah. I think the flavor of their lamb is better, plus I like supporting local businesses, don't you?


GREEK B-B-Q Lamb Recipe:

8 Lamb chops

Marinade:

1/4 c. Olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
2 to 4 Garlic cloves, crushed well
1 t. Dried oregano, crushed
1 t. Sea salt
1/2 t. Fresh ground black pepper
1/4 c. Water


Method:

Mix the marinade ingredients together and set aside.
Place 8 lamb chops in a heavy-duty Zip-Lock bag.
Pour the marinade over the lamb chops. Let the air out of the bag and seal.
Let marinate in your refrigerator 12 to 24 hours. Flip the bag over a couple times to evenly marinate.
Drain and grill  or broil the lamb to your liking.


Enjoy,

Leila

Hearty Buffalo Chili

Big Batch Buffalo Chile

I thought it was time that I post something rugged and manly. I would hate to be accused of posting only rabbit food recipes. So here you go. Pick yourself up by your boot straps and go find yourself some local ranch-raised buffalo and lamb, and you are ready to get cookin'.

This is one of those recipes that you plan for in advance. It is nice to make a big batch and then freeze some of it in meal-sized portions for easy lunches and dinners later. Don't let the list of ingredients throw you. It's very easy to make, it just needs simmering time between the steps. A few of the ingredients called for, may not be what you typically have in your pantry. And maybe you don't raise buffalo to eat, like we did. That's O.K., we see buffalo meat for sale at Costco and other places. You may have to use cubed beef and add buffalo hamburger, it just depends on what you can find. No worries, the recipe is flexible.

Why use buffalo meat? Buffalo meat has a terrific flavor! A lot of people like buffalo even better than beef. It is raised in a cleaner, healthier manner that cows typically are. It is leaner than beef too, so it is helpful to add some coconut oil when cooking to help it stay moist.

We also add some lamb for good measure. It helps to create nice depth of flavor. Our family raised some lambs too... Was it bad that we named them 'Lunch' and 'Dinner'?

So, create your shopping list and make sure you have all the ingredients you will need. Set aside time to tend to a simmering pot, and get ready to be showered with praise for serving this man-pleasing meal. Note: Women and children love this too.



BUFFALO CHILE Recipe:

Part A - Meat Mixture:

1 pound ground lamb
4 pounds buffalo meat, grind half of it and dice the rest into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 to 1/2 c. coconut oil (deodorized 76 degree)
Rich buffalo broth (or beef broth)
1/2 c. red wine
1 bay leaf


Directions for Meat Mixture:

In a large stock pot, brown all of the meat in 1/4 c. to 1/2 c. coconut oil until it turns a nice medium-brown color.

Pour into the stock pot enough rich buffalo broth to go 1-inch over the top of the meat in the pan.

Pour in the stock pot 1/2 c. red wine and add 1 bay leaf.

Cook the meat until nearly tender.

Once the meat is nearly tender, follow the directions for part b - the sauce, below.


Part B - Sauce:

8 dried Pasilla chili peppers
8 mild dried red chilies
1 large can peeled, diced tomatoes
4 to 8 cloves garlic, smashed
1 small green bell pepper, minced
1 shredded corn tortilla (or omit for a paleo version)


Directions for Sauce:

Soak 8 dried Pasilla chili peppers and 8 mild dried red chilies in warm water until softened.

Remove stems and seeds and puree until very smooth.

Add to the simmering, nearly tender meat mixture.

Add the canned tomatoes, garlic, green pepper, and shredded corn tortilla.

Simmer together 1 hour.

Now proceed to part C, below.


Part C - Sauce Continued:

1 to 2 cans diced green chilies, to taste
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1 T. ground cumin
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. onion powder
2 to 4 T. sweet paprika
2 T. xylitol (in place of 2 T. brown sugar)
4 cans (1 lb, 1-ounce) un-drained red kidney beans
Tapioca starch, to thicken
Sea salt, or BioSalt, to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
A dash of smoke salt
2 T. green olive oil (or Green Oil recipe on this blog)


Directions to Finish the Chile:

To the Part B sauce that has simmered 1 hour, add  the first 8 ingredients.

Thicken the Chile with a mixture of tapioca starch dissolved in water.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add a dash of smoke salt.

Simmer the Chile gently for 20 minutes more. Check the seasoning.

Take off the heat and add the green olive oil, to taste.

Let the Chile cool then refrigerate or freeze.

To serve: Reheat and garnish as desired.



Note: This chili is even better the next day.

Enjoy!

Leila