Carnitas Burrito Bowl

 

To begin, please see separate recipes for rice, and Tangy Oat Pepper Sauce. I'll still include all of the ingredients here, so you'll have them in one place.

Ingredients for the Carnitas: 

• 2-3 pounds pork carnitas, or pork center cut loin chops (boneless).
• 2 packages McCormick Street Taco Pork Carnitas Seasoning Mix, 1oz 
• 32 oz. water. 

Ingredients for the Queso:

• 8 cups Tangy Oat Pepper Sauce (ingredients below). 
• 3 cans Rotel. 
• 6 Tbsp. pickled jalapenos, minced.  
• 1 Tbsp. cumin. 
• 2 pounds any sharpness cheddar cheese (shredded by hand, if you can muster it, because the pre-shredded stuff has an anti-caking agent that might react weirdly with the oat pepper sauce). 

Ingredients for the Mango Corn Salsa: 

• 8 bell peppers (variety of red, orange and yellow), diced. 
• 1 red onion, minced. 
• 2 bunches of cilantro, minced. 
• 1 pound frozen mangos, chopped. 
• 1 bulb garlic, peeled, trimmed and minced. 
• 1/2 jar pickled jalapenos, minced. 
• 3 limes, juiced. 
• 2 Tbsp. EVOO. 
• 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper, or to taste. 

Ingredients for the Rice: 

• 5 cups of your favorite rice (not instant or parboiled).
• 10 cups of water. 
• 2 tsp salt.
• 2 tsp black pepper.
• 4 Tbsp. butter. 

Ingredients for the Beans:

• 1 pound dry beans (like pinto). 
• 6 cups water. 
• 2 tsp salt. 
• 2 tsp black pepper. 
• 4 Tbsp. butter. 

Ingredients for the Tangy Oat Pepper Sauce: 

• 2 cups rolled oats. 
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast. 
• 2 tsp onion powder. 
• 2 tsp salt. 
• 16 oz. jar fire-roasted red bell peppers. 
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar (any). 
• 1/4 tsp liquid smoke or 1.5 tsp liquid smoke marinade. 
• 4 cups water. 
• 4 Tbsp. butter. 

Ingredients for the Garnish:

• 6 avocados, 1/2 per person, mixed in with an individual portion of salsa when ready to serve, because avocados turn brown if you prep them in advance.
• Top with rinsed, trimmed and diced Spring onions. 

Directions for the Carnitas: 

1. Place all ingredients for the carnitas in a 6-quart cast iron enamel Dutch oven (or a 13X9 inch casserole, see note below), and heat over medium-high heat (6) until just bubbling.
2. Cover with lid and transfer to an oven that has been preheated to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake for 4 hours. 

Note: This recipe calls for up to 3 pounds of pork, so you might have to use two 13X9 inch casseroles. If so, cover them with cheap foil before baking. You can put both in the oven at the same time on the center rack. 

Reserve the braising liquid for bowl assembly. More on this below. 

Directions for the Queso:

1. Have the Tangy Oat Pepper Sauce already prepared. 
2. Then, in your largest mixing bowl, combine the sauce with the remainder of the ingredients and stir until mixed well. 

Note: If you don't have a large enough bowl, you might have to mix half of the ingredients together at a time and store in multiple storage containers. 

Makes about 16 cups. 

Directions for the Beans: 

1. Add all ingredients to the Dutch oven and cook on the stove top over medium-high heat (6) until steaming and butter is melted.
2. Then transfer to an oven that has been preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake for 1 hour 40 minutes. 
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes with the lid still on. 

Directions for the Mango Corn Salsa:

1. Add all ingredients to a bowl, minus the garnishes. 

Assembling the Bowls: 

1. Add 1 cup of rice to a bowl. 
2. Add 1/2 cup of beans. 
3. Add 1/4 cup of carnitas braising liquid. 
4. Add 4-6 oz. carnitas per person. 
5. Add 1.5 cup of queso. 
6. Add 1/2 cup of salsa (with diced avocado mixed in, if using). 
7. Garnish with Spring onion. 

Storage Tips: You can store the rice, beans, queso, and carnitas together, because these will all be reheated in the microwave. 

These can also be frozen (portioned for ease of use) for up to 6 months. Just make fresh salsa, or use store-bought salsa when ready to reheat.

The salsa should be stored separately, because it will be served cold. Just prepare 1/2 an avocado per person when ready to serve so it doesn't turn brown.  

Store Spring onions separately too. 

When reheating the carnitas, reheat them in their own bowl first, because they only need nuked for about 30-45 seconds. Otherwise, this tender meat will get tougher by the minute. The rice, beans and queso will need heated for 2.5 minutes.