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Pork and tomato carnitas

6
6
6
SmartPoints® value per serving
Total Time
26 min
Prep
6 min
Cook
20 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Yes, you can make carnitas in under half an hour; traditional carnitas can sometimes take hours to cook. Our version is made with pork tenderloin, onion, garlic, fresh cilantro, and diced tomatoes, and spiced with chili powder and ground cumin. Turn our carnitas into bean tostadas by stirring a 15 1/2-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained, into the pork mixture and heating them through. You can also top the tortillas and pork mixture with sliced romaine, then sprinkle with chopped tomato and onion for even more texture, color, and flavor. The possibilities are endless when it comes to using these savory carnitas.

Ingredients

Canola oil

2 tsp

Uncooked lean pork tenderloin

1 pound(s), cut into 2-inch strips

Uncooked onion(s)

1 medium, thinly sliced

Garlic clove(s)

2 large clove(s), minced

Canned diced tomatoes

14½ oz

Red-wine vinegar

1 Tbsp

Chili powder

2 tsp, or ancho variety

Ground cumin

1 tsp

Table salt

½ tsp

Cilantro

¼ cup(s)

Corn tortilla(s)

8 small, 8 (6-inch) warmed

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork, onion, and garlic; cook, stirring, until the pork and onion begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, vinegar, chile powder, cumin, and salt. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro.
  2. Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tortillas, one at a time, and cook until crispy and browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Turn and crisp on the second side, about 2 minutes longer.
  3. Lay the warm tortillas out on a work surface and spoon 3/4 cup of the pork mixture along the middle of each tortilla; fold in half to enclose the filling. Yields 2 carnitas per serving.

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