Beth - One of our local markets has pork roasts on sale again this past weekend for only 99 cent a pound. I couldn't resist and bought another one.
This time I tried to approximate a wonderful recipe from a world class Mexican restaurant in Long Beach, Calif. that people stand in line to get into. It worked out great and everyone loved it. Here is the variation.
Pork Roast:
You'll want to buy a large pork shoulder roast (also called a pork butt) for this recipe.
First make a rub following this food channel recipe
is.gd/ci34bBring the pork to room temperature and apply the rub to all but the fat covered side of the roast.
Place in a 210 degree F (very slow) oven atop a stainless steel rack that sits in a jelly roll or roasting pan to catch the drippings. You want it fat side up. Start it early in the morning and let it cook all day. It will probably take about 10 or 12 hours. Turn the roast over after about 6 or 8 hours. It's done when the pork reaches an internal temperature of 185 degrees F or when it will shred easily with a fork (very tender).
While the roast is cooking make the sauce.
3 pounds fresh Tomatillos (remove the paper like outer skin). If your markets don't have fresh Tomatillos you can order canned Tomatillos online (do a Google search). You'll need two large cans.
1 Pablano or Anaheim mild chile
1 medium size onion cut into 4 pieces.
Cover with water and boil the vegetables until very tender. Transfer to a blender or food processor and process into a sauce. Add some water if needed to make a gravy like consistency.
When the pork roast is almost done remove from the oven and carefully pour the liquids from the pan into a grease separator or tall vessel. You want to remove the grease from the liquids and then add the remaining liquid to the Tomatillo sauce. Boil to thicken slightly to gravy consistency.
Serve with boiled red skin potatoes, and the Tomatillo sauce
Spectacular
Now for the best part. Leftovers made into Carnitas ( a Mexican festival food).
Cut the refrigerated leftover pork butt into slices 1/2 inch thick
Spread out on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil to catch any grease.
Cook in a 350 degree F oven for about 20 to 30 minutes until the fats are rendered out of the meat and it has a crispy well browned exterior.
Buy corn tortillas and spray them with PAM or another vegetable oil spray (both sides). Place them on your oven racks and cook at 350 degrees F until about halfway crisp. You want them to be a little pliable and little chewy but starting to get hard and crisp.
Serve the crispy pork with the tortillas and a selection of condiments such as: sour cream, chopped tomatoes, chopped sweet onion, shredded lettuce, grated cheese (cheddar works well), and salsal. Let each participant assemble their own Carnitas tacos at the table. Yummmy