This week’s feeding the fam recipe is one of my favorites to make year round. It is delicious, and all of my children gobble it up in seconds which is a rare feat. You can prep this in the crock pot or insta pot, and have plenty of meat to feed a crowd. I’m calling it Carnitas Rancheros because it’s a mix of two of my favorite hispanic dishes: Carnitas and Huevos Rancheros.
We don’t strictly follow any diet, but we make a conscious effort to eat clean. We cut out processed foods refined sugars, and most refined flours. Which seems like you are cutting out all the fun in life! However there are so many options now that are still incredibly delicious and satisfying! It can be tricky with hungry boys to find foods everyone loves that also fills their bellies. I love using rice or quinoa based pastas, corn tortillas, healthy fats like grass fed dairy and ghee, etc. I am slowly finding affordable organic brands, and am hopeful that more options will become available in groceries everywhere. I order some items in bulk on amazon, and some we pick up at Costco! Okay onto the recipe…
This is my season line up for mouthwatering carnitas. You can put your meat in a crockpot to simmer on low for 6-8 hrs, on high for 4-5 hrs, and in an insta pot for 40 minutes! (Tried this the other day and it was as delicious as all day crock pot meat.) I used two pounds of pork tenderloin and we had a good amount of leftovers even after all 7 of us ate. Do not discard the juices from the meat! Store it with your leftovers, and I am telling you that meat will be even better on the second day.
My kids love fried eggs, so I use either coconut oil, ghee, or avocado oil to cook, and we stick them on top of a corn tortilla as the base for these addicting fancy tacos. We will then top with the meat, vegetables, salsa, etc!
Topping ideas: Crema fresca, baby tomatoes, avocados, salsa, lettuce, fresh cilantro.
We eat a good deal of spanish or latin food because that is what my grandmother raised my dad on! I would say her cooking spoiled my tastebuds and I think I have yet to taste anything as good as her homemade tortillas, rice, and beans. Whenever I make this type of food it makes me feel connected to my roots. Food has the ability to do this, which is why I love it so much!
Happy to answer any questions about this recipe in the comments below. If you give it a try be sure to let us know how it goes!
- 5 tbls avocado oil Divided for meat and eggs
- 2 lb pork tenderloin
- 1 tbls oregano
- 2 tbls cumin
- 1 tbls dried basil
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbls Chipotle Garlic Seasoning (optional)
- 1 tbls paprika
- 2 tbls chili powder
- 10-12 eggs
- 1/2 c. avocado oil for corn tortillas
- 10-12 corn tortillas
- lettuce
- avocados
- baby tomatoes
- salsa
- crema fresca
- Add oil to the bottom of your crockpot (or insta pot) and place meat on top. Mix your seasonings all together in a small bowl and sprinkle over the meat. Set to cook on low for 6-8 hrs. If you are cooking in an insta pot, high pressure cook for 40 minutes.
- While the meat is cooking, heat up a half a cup of avocado oil in a small skillet over medium temp. Start to fry your corn tortillas a minute on each side. Place them on a cooking sheet to keep warm in your oven on low heat.
- In a large size skillet, heat a tbls of ghee or avocado oil. Depending on how many people you are serving fry 1-2 eggs per person. You can do this all at one time if it is a large skillet by cooking on low and covering with a lid. Remove from heat once cooked all the way through.
- Chop and prep your vegetable toppings. (Baby tomatoes, lettuce, avocado)
- Once meat is tender and pulls apart easily, continue to pull apart the rest of the meat and place in a bowl for serving.
- Pull corn tortillas from warming oven, and serve your carnitas rancheros by topping with an egg, a few spoonfuls of pork, followed by any or all toppings!
For little ones, one seems to fill them up, but for adults, 2-3 will do the trick! Serve with a side of spanish rice as an option!