Once I got over my (irrational) fear of my slow cooker, one of the first things I made was basic pulled pork. The recipe is outstanding and still my go-to recipe. It's easy, packed with flavor, and versatile. Another reason I love it is because it makes such a large batch, which is great for either a) feeding tons and tons of people or b) eating half and freezing the other half for a later time.
I especially like choice b. Having pulled pork, pulled chicken, Tex-Mex chicken, or beef cooked and frozen makes busy times a little easier to handle. All I have to do is put the meat in the fridge to defrost (I usually put it in the fridge the morning of the day before I want to use it.) and I've got lots of options. For the most hectic of times, I know I can just heat it up, add whatever sauce sounds good, and have a meal ready to go. If I'm not totally exhausted, I'll use the meat as a pizza topping, burrito filling, or heat it back up with some extra veggies tossed in. Or make baked taquitos.
Man are these good. And good for the busy times. You can make them with meat that's been frozen and thawed or you can make them from a fresh batch of meat and then freeze them. Serious flexibility. All you have to do is pull them from the freezer and add about five minutes to the cooking time. See? I told you they were good.
Baked Pulled Pork Taquitos
slightly adapted from Pink Parsley
Ingredients:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened (low-fat is fine)
1/3 c. barbeque sauce
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. chile powder
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 c. diced onion
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 minced jalapeño or serrano, seeded (optional)
1-2 garlic cloves, minced, pressed, or grated
2 TBSP minced cilantro or parsley (I used cilantro)
2 c. unsauced pulled pork or Kalua pork
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese
10-12 (6-in.) corn tortillas
sprayable olive oil or cooking spray
barbeque sauce and/or ranch dressing, for dipping
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or spray with oil or cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, cream cheese through cilantro. Fold in pork and cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
3. Stack 3-4 tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Cook 30 seconds, or just until tortillas become pliable.
4. To assemble, quickly spoon 3 TBSP filling horizontally onto the lower third of each tortilla. Roll tightly and place on prepared baking sheet with the seam down. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
5. Once all taquitos have been rolled, spray them lightly with oil or cooking spray and sprinkle with salt, if desired. Bake 15-20 minutes until the tortillas become crispy and golden-brown. Serve immediately with desired sauces.
I especially like choice b. Having pulled pork, pulled chicken, Tex-Mex chicken, or beef cooked and frozen makes busy times a little easier to handle. All I have to do is put the meat in the fridge to defrost (I usually put it in the fridge the morning of the day before I want to use it.) and I've got lots of options. For the most hectic of times, I know I can just heat it up, add whatever sauce sounds good, and have a meal ready to go. If I'm not totally exhausted, I'll use the meat as a pizza topping, burrito filling, or heat it back up with some extra veggies tossed in. Or make baked taquitos.
Man are these good. And good for the busy times. You can make them with meat that's been frozen and thawed or you can make them from a fresh batch of meat and then freeze them. Serious flexibility. All you have to do is pull them from the freezer and add about five minutes to the cooking time. See? I told you they were good.
slightly adapted from Pink Parsley
Ingredients:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened (low-fat is fine)
1/3 c. barbeque sauce
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. chile powder
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 c. diced onion
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 minced jalapeño or serrano, seeded (optional)
1-2 garlic cloves, minced, pressed, or grated
2 TBSP minced cilantro or parsley (I used cilantro)
2 c. unsauced pulled pork or Kalua pork
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese
10-12 (6-in.) corn tortillas
sprayable olive oil or cooking spray
barbeque sauce and/or ranch dressing, for dipping
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or spray with oil or cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, cream cheese through cilantro. Fold in pork and cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
3. Stack 3-4 tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Cook 30 seconds, or just until tortillas become pliable.
4. To assemble, quickly spoon 3 TBSP filling horizontally onto the lower third of each tortilla. Roll tightly and place on prepared baking sheet with the seam down. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
5. Once all taquitos have been rolled, spray them lightly with oil or cooking spray and sprinkle with salt, if desired. Bake 15-20 minutes until the tortillas become crispy and golden-brown. Serve immediately with desired sauces.