New Favorite Enchiladas...

I found this recipe over at Family Favorite Recipes and it has quickly become our family's new go-to enchilada recipe!!! You've got to give it a try!!! Thanks Erica :O)

Easy Cheesy Enchiladas

Sauce ingredients:
2 Tbs. oil
1 med. onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 can (14 oz) Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup Chicken or Beef stock

12 Corn tortillas
3 Tbs. oil
4 scallions, chopped
3 Tbs. cilantro leaves, finely chopped (we use more of course)
4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

Pre-heat the oven to 375ºF. Heat the 2 Tbsp. oil in small pot over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic until tender (about 7-8 minutes). Season with salt and pepper, chili powder and cumin. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and stock, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. While the enchilada sauce is simmering, place a skillet over medium heat and a little oil (3 Tbsp). Using tongs, soften each tortilla for 15 seconds on each side in the oil, shake off any excess then transfer to a plate covered with paper towels. Repeat this process with the rest of the tortillas. In a bowl, combine the scallions and cilantro with 3 cups of cheese. Fill each softened tortilla with about 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture and roll it up. Set the rolled tortillas in a row in a baking dish. When all the tortillas have been rolled, ladle the sauce evenly over the dish and top with the remaining cup of cheese. Bake until bubbly and brown on top, about 15 minutes. Serve with spanish rice, refried beans, and guacamole!

Happy Taco Day!!!

October 4th is National Taco Day!!! What a great food to celebrate!!! :O)

Migas Breakfast Tacos

Follow the recipe here and then serve wrapped in a tortilla!!! What a perfect way to start your day!!!

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Hi all! I know I should've taken a picture of this Chicken Tamale Casserole recipe, but I was soo hungry, I didn't think about it until it was gone...there were NO leftovers here tonight! Being a mexican-food LOVER, I've been wanting to try this recipe. It was soo darn easy and very very yummy! Everyone loved it! The only thing I didn't do was add chiles, and next time I will use a different cornbread mix, Jiffy is a little sweet, and I love Jiffy, but I think this needs a less sweet version. We added guacamole and sour cream to top it off!! ENJOY!!
*Cindy*

My kinda Carne

I know that Kathy has posted her version of Carne Guisada on here before but this is my version. Not really sure if Guisada & Guizado are the same thing or not? Anyway, this is another awesome recipe from my sweet neighbor Denise (Mama Nise as we know her!). The hubby and I like to eat this with some Spanish rice and tortillas. The kiddos however like me to shred it up and make quesadillas with it. Either way it's all GOOD! Have you ever made Carne Guizado/Guisada before and if so how'd you do it?

Carne Guizado

1 lb. stew meat
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) beef broth (bouillon)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 small chiles serranos (I have never added these but I'm sure they'd be DELISH!)
3/4 cup water

Brown meat in oil until brown on all sides. Pour off grease. Add tomato paste, beef broth, salt & pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, chile peppers, and water. Bring to a boil and then turn very low, cover and simmer about one and 1/2 hours, or until meat is tender.
Dissolve about one teaspoon cornstarch in small amount of cold water and slowly pour into stew, which is simmering, until proper thickness of gravy is obtained. Serve with rice. (FYI...This batch I took a pic of was the perfect consistency at the end of cooking that I didn't have to add the cornstarch. So you can skip the last part of the directions if the gravy is to your liking!)
Enjoy!!

Tara

Another Go-To Meal...

This is a true family favorite for all in our house! I found it forever ago at Real Mom Kitchen and it quickly became a go-to meal for us! This is a perfect recipe to use when you have no time to spend in the kitchen!

Enchilada Style Burritos

8 frozen prepared beef and bean burritos
2 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
1-1/4 cups water
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1-1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp beef bouillon granules
3/4 tsp ground cumin
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Mexican Cheddar

Place frozen burritos in a greased 9x13-in. baking dish; set aside. In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually stir in water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the tomato sauce, chili powder, bouillon, cumin and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until thickened. Pour over the burritos. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until heated through. Add any additional toppings that you desire.

Calling All Taco Lovers!!!

I must say that we really love tacos in our house, so we are always looking for a new way of eating them. If you're the same, here's a couple for you to try...

Deep-Dish Taco Pizza

1 lb. hamburger meat
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (15 oz.) can Rotel, drained
1 pkg. Taco seasoning
1 (10 oz.) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar
Salsa (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°. Cook beef and onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well, and return beef mixture to pan. Stir in rotel and taco seasoning; cook over medium-high heat 1 minute or until thoroughly heated; set aside. Unroll pizza crust dough. Press into bottom and halfway up sides of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon beef mixture over pizza crust dough. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes. Top with cheese, and bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts and edges of crust are browned. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm. Top with salsa and sour cream, if desired.

Taco Cups for the Kiddos!

This is not really a recipe - I just put normal taco meat in Tostito Scoops Chips and top with Sharp Cheddar and put until the broiler until the cheese melts. This was so easy for the kids to pick up and eat! A big hit for sure!!!

Perfect Dessert for a Mexican-themed meal!

Here's a favorite dessert of ours that I'm posting especially for my CBS ladies!!! I've seen this in the blog-world for a long time, but liked the allrecipes version better! I tried to simplify it though. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Sopapilla Cheesecake Pie

2 (8oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. mexican vanilla extract
2 (8oz.) pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup honey

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Unroll one can of crescent roll dough, and press it into the bottom of your dish until there are no seems. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough, lightly pressing seems together. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon, and set aside. Melt your butter in the microwave. Pour the butter over the top of the cheesecake. Sprinkle your cinnamon and sugar mixture over the butter layer. Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.

* Then store leftovers in fridge and eat the next day cold! It keeps a crunchy crust - we love eating it this way even better!!!

Crockpot Mondays...

Mondays have become my "crockpot cooking" days! This is the day that I call all my CBS ladies and now my daughter is back into tumbling. So, needless to say, I have no time for cooking in the evenings on this day of the week! I got this great recipe over at Jadi's Favorite Recipes - thanks Jadi for making my life easier!!! I'd love to hear from y'all if you have any crockpot favs - I need all the help I can get!!! :O)

Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 (16 oz) can pinto beans
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans
1 (11 oz) can of corn
1 (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can of green chilies
1 envelope of taco seasoning
1 envelope of hidden valley ranch dressing mix
garnishes of choice

Cook and drain the ground beef. Add all ingredients to the crock pot. Do not drain cans. Stir it all together and cook on high for a couple of hours or on low for 4-5 hours. Garnish soup with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips. You can also use avocados, chopped green onions, and cilantro if you desire.

Enchilada and Pasta?! What?!?!

Have you ever heard of this craziness? Well, if not - you have to give it a try! I never would have thought of this combination, but it was wonderful. Thanks Melanie for an awesome recipe!!!

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 (10-oz) cans green chili enchilada sauce (I used mild)
2/3 cup red enchilada sauce (I used mild)
1 can large black olives, cut in half (I omitted this)
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
16-20 oz. penne pasta (Depending on how "saucy" you want the pasta)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, until pepper is barely tender. Add the cooked chicken, green chilies, spices, enchilada sauces and olives. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through, until the cheese is melted (but don't boil!). Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Garnish with extra sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions or crushed tortilla chips.

My absolute favorite Go-To-Meal!!!

We first saw Chilaquiles (Chee-lah-KEE-less) on Simply Recipes forever ago, and knew we had to make some. If you hate the mess of rolling up your enchiladas, you are gonna love this recipe!

Chilaquiles - our way

Corn Oil
24 Corn Tortillas, quarter into wedges
Salt
1 lg. and 1 sm. cans of Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce, Red and Mild
Garnishes:
Cheddar Cheese
Cotija Cheese or Queso Fresco
Crema Mexicana (or just use regular Sour Cream)
Cilantro, chopped
Red Onion, chopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Avacado, chopped

In a dutch oven, add a good inch or so of corn oil and heat to medium high. When oil is quite hot, add the tortillas, fry until golden brown. Remove tortillas to a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess oil. Sprinkle a little salt on the tortillas. If not eating right away, you can put the tortillas on a cookie sheet in the oven at 175 degrees. Pour your oil off, and wipe your pan clean of any browned bits of tortillas. Add your enchilada sauce to your pan at medium heat, and cook for several minutes. Add your fried tortilla quarters to the sauce. Gently turn over the pieces of tortilla until they are all well coated. Cook for a few minutes more and keep turning over until the tortillas become soft. Remove from heat, and now it's time to add the garnishes of your choice! Serves:4

* I made this for Bunko (12 ladies), and did 60 corn tortillas, and 4 large and 1 small cans of enchilada sauce.

We're back to cold weather...

just as I thought. A few days of high 70's was wonderful though! I found this recipe on allrecipes and it's a must try! We didn't change a thing...

Mexican Zucchini Cheese Soup

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
1 can Rotel
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut in 1/4 inch slices
2 medium yellow squash, halved lengthwise and cut in 1/4 inch slices
1 (8.75 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chile peppers
12 oz. processed cheese food, cubed
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the olive oil in a large pot, and saute the onion and garlic until tender. Season with oregano. Mix in the chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Mix in the zucchini, yellow squash, corn, and chile peppers. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Mix the cubed processed cheese into the soup. Continue to cook and stir until cheese is melted. Season with pepper. Mix in the cilantro just before serving.

"Baby, It's Cold Outside"...

With all this cold weather we've been having, this song hasn't been more true here in South Texas!!! Brrr... Here's another recipe to keep you warm!

(I first saw this on On My Menu, who saw it on The Sisters' Cafe. Thanks Erin for sharing such a great recipe! What a great twist on an old classic.)

Potato Pepper Jack Soup

2 T olive oil
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced (I use a little less, about 2/3 of an onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 ½ cups chicken broth (I use water and ~3 bouillon cubes)
4 cups diced potato
3 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1/3 c. milk or half&half
½ tsp. salt (add more if you do not use bouillon cubes)
scant ½ tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. thyme
scant 1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup butter
½ flour

Boil potatoes in water until tender; about 15 minutes. In the meantime, combine olive oil, peppers, onion, garlic and carrot in a medium sauce pan. Sauté on medium heat until vegetables are soft. Drain all liquid from potatoes and add vegetables and broth to the pot. Add bacon, milk or half&half, salt, pepper and thyme. Prepare roux by melting butter in a separate pot and stirring in flour to make a paste. Slowly add cream and allow to bubble, stirring, until roux thickens and comes away from the sides of the pan. Add roux to soup mixture along with the cheese. If necessary, add milk to desired consistency. Serves about 6.

Perfect for a Snow-day!!!

I know I'm a little late in posting this, but we actually got snow the beginning of this month!!! Now if only we could get snow for Christmas - but that never happens down here in Houston!!! Which reminds me of my favorite Christmas song... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtQ487kXh-A

Anyway, this was our meal for that snowy night. We loved it!!! Thanks Sandra for a great idea!

Green Chili Stew

2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
2 medium onions, chopped
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
1 cup water
3 beef bouillon cubes
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt, optional
1/4 tsp pepper
Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, optional

In a large skillet, brown beef and onions in oil; drain. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker.
Combine the beans, tomatoes, chilies, water, bouillon, garlic, sugar, salt if desired and pepper; pour over beef. cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until beef is tender. Sprinkle with cheese if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

* I wasn't ready first thing in the morning to do this - so I just did it on the stove-top! Worked just fine and didn't have to cook all day!

Help - I need quick and easy meals!!!

This new school year is CRAZY!!! I have four kids at four different schools - and no one rides the bus!!! (I know, that's my choice) My oldest has football practice everyday, I'm in CBS twice a week, and then there's church and youth group throughout the week, and choir for my daughter - not to mention homework!!! I know that sounds chaotic but actually two of my kids are taking a break from sports!!! And the youngest is too afraid of sports!!! ;) lol... Anyway, all of this to say - I really need some quick and easy meal ideas from all of you!!!

Keeping with that theme, here's a recipe I found over at Getting it Together. I changed it up a little to make it easier for me and to fit our tastes. Thanks Chrissy for making my life a little less hectic. Consider yourself exempt from my little challenge today to all my other fellow food-bloggers!!!

Taco Pizza

1 tube of refrigerated pizza dough
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pkg. taco seasoning
2/3 cup bottled chunky salsa
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup baked tortilla chips, coarsley crushed
sour cream and/or salsa

Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly coat a 12-inch pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pat dough evenly into a prepared pan. Prick crust all over with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook the beef and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Add the package of taco seasoning and cook accordingly. Add 2/3 cup salsa. Top hot crust with meat mixture. Bake 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with tomatoes and cheese. Bake 1-2 minutes more or until cheese melts. To serve, top with lettuce and tortilla chips. If desired, serve with sour cream and/or additional salsa. Enjoy!!!

Burrito Battle...

Well, I finally got around to trying Heidi's Brown Bag Burritos! They were very good!!! Much like Taco Bell's! I don't know... we're a little partial, we really love my mil's recipe best!!! We really love the garlic flavor in it. Both are great though. Guess you'll have to try both and you be the judge! Be sure to keep me posted! :o)

Brown Bag Burritos

1 lb. ground beef
1 can refried beans
2/3 c. enchilada sauce
1/4 c. water
1/3 c. minced onion
1/2 TBSP chili powder
1/2 TBSP garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 c. shredded colby/jack
10 flour tortillas

Brown and drain meat. Add all ingredients, but tortillas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Fill tortillas and roll up. Serve with shredded lettuce, cheese, sour cream and salsa

Gram's Famous Burritos

1 1/2 lbs. hamburger meat
leftover pinto beans
1 8oz. jar Picante sauce
garlic powder, to taste
black pepper, to taste
Burrito tortillas

She makes about 4 cups dried pinto beans and has a meal with them and then refrigerates the leftovers. Then she cooks her hamburger meat and drains it. Then she adds her leftover beans to the skillet of meat to warm. Then add the picante sauce, garlic powder, and pepper to taste. She wraps all her burritos in saran wrap and puts them in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks, but I promise you they will not last that long!!! Or if you do have extras, you can freeze them!!!

As requested...

Sorry it took me so long to post this recipe!!! May is really crazy here at our house with all the year-end school events!! Hopefully June will be better. Of course we're leaving tomorrow for vacation! I'm sure I'll be back to posting in about a week. Until then here's that recipe I promised you, Kim!!!

No1here's Borracho Beans

In 1-2 Tbsp of oil sautee 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced, and 1/2 medium onion, chopped, until translucent.
Add 2 minced cloves garlic and satuee for another minute.
Add 3/4 can beer and boil for about 5-10 minutes (reduce/evaporate alcohol).
Add big can of pinto beans and half a can of water. Return to boil for 5-10 minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes and cilantro. Salt & pepper to taste. Simmer until ready to eat.

Nachos for Breakfast???

In case you didn't know - I love making breakfast!!! Here's a really good Mexican recipe for you to try. Don't let the Chorizo scare you! It's kind of spicy if you taste it after it comes out of the pan, but it really tones down once you add it to the eggs and cheese. If you can't find Chorizo - you could always use normal breakfast sausage. I like my Breakfast Nachos just plain, but you can add whatever toppings you want.

Breakfast Nachos

3/4 pound Chorizo Mexican sausage
4 large eggs
2 or 3 handfulls tortilla chips
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 small onion - diced
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon water
2 teaspoons butter
1 pinch salt
your favorite salsa, or other toppings


Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large skillet at medium-high heat, fry the chorizo sausage. When fully browned, remove the chorizo from the skillet with a slotted spoon and drain it. Set aside on folded paper towels. Reduce stove top temperature to medium and saute the onion in the grease left from sausage - for about 10 minutes - until caramelized. Prepare a large casserole dish by coating the bottom and sides with softened butter. Place casserole dish in oven to preheat. (This will help assure that your eggs set.) In a mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the Tablespoon of water and pinch of salt. Add the sausage and stir to combine. Remove the prepared baking dish from the oven and add mixture from the bowl. Top with enough tortilla chips to create a thick layer above the egg mixture. Layer the cooked onion and cheese on top of the chips. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes - until eggs are fully set. Top with salsa and serve.

* This is a fun recipe to create your own variation. Try replacing the the chorizo with 12 strips of bacon - crumbled. Try skipping the caramelized onions and serve with with fresh chopped green onion. The sky is the limit.

Serves: 4

Authentic Mexican...

This is a very good meal! If you are only a Tex-Mex lover (Tara!!!), then don't waste your time. If you don't know if you like Authentic Mexican... give it a try - it's sooo worth it!!! I really love the potatoes in this dish - it really makes it!!!

Carne Guisada

1 pound sirloin steak, diced 1/4"

1 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon bacon grease

1 medium onion, diced

1 large potato, diced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cans (4.5 oz. each) of chopped green chilies

1 1/2 cups water, reserved from potatoes

1/2 cup cream

Pour oil into a very hot pan. Heat oil for a moment and add beef. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin. Cook until beef is deep brown on the edges, then set aside. Put your diced potatoes in a big pyrex measuring cup. Add water to cover, and salt if you like. Microwave for 5 minutes, set aside. In the same skillet that you cooked your beef in - add butter and bacon grease. Add your onion and garlic. Use a slotted spoon to remove potato from cooking water. Add potato into the skillet with the onion and garlic. season to taste with salt, garlic powder and pepper. cook until potatoes are browned. Add reserved water, cream, and chopped green chilies. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until gravy is reduced, about a half hour.

Serve on fresh hot tortillas, with pinto beans and my Aunt Billie's Mexican Vermicelli on the side!!!

Have you ever had Migas?

If so, what recipe variation do you use? I have searched high and low - I took some from this recipe and some from that recipe, and then put in things that we love and came up with our own variation.

This is on our menu for the week with No1here's homemade refried beans, southern fried potatoes, and warm tortillas on the side!!! Yummm.... I can't wait!!!

Migas (pronounced MEE gahs) is a Tex-Mex "mess" of eggs, bits of fried corn tortilla, and a host of savory ingredients, from black beans, chorizo and cheese to salsa, avocado and chiles. The word, migas, in fact, is derived from the Spanish word for crumbs, that was from old bread. Here in Texas, this dish is designed to use up your old stale tortillas, but if you only have fresh ones - it will still be just as wonderful!

Our Migas

10 corn tortillas (if your eggs are large, you might want to add more tortillas)
Vegetable oil (or if making bacon with this - just use leftover drippings)
diced onion
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2-4 jalapenos, seeded and chopped (or green chilies if you want it milder)
diced tomato (salsa, or tomato sauce)
10-12 eggs, lightly beaten
cilantro, chopped

Put a good amount of oil in your skillet. Heat it over medium-high heat. Tear up your corn tortillas, or cut them into strips. Once your oil is heated, add your tortillas. Stir them around until all the tortillas get a good coating of oil. Season with salt. Toss in your onion, jalapenos, and garlic. Once your tortillas have started to get golden and have some crisp to the edges, stir in your eggs. Then add your diced tomatoes, salsa, or tomato sauce - which ever one you prefer. Then add your cheese and melt. Don't forget to top with cilantro!!! Then serve on big plates with fried potatoes and refried beans! Use your tortillas to scoop up all this yummy goodness!!! Serves: 6

* other possiblities to try: bacon, green onion, chorizo, bell pepper, black beans, ham, poblanos, avocado, crema or sour cream, etc... The ideas are endless!!!!

Another meal we can't live without....

This is one of my absolute favorite meals that No1here makes!!! We first found it on one of Emeril's shows, but changed it up a bit to fit our specific tastes. It's a bit time consuming - but oh, so worth it!!!

Carnitas

• 3 pounds thick, meaty country style pork ribs, pork butt or pork shoulder
• 2 pounds lard, or enough to cover the meat
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 orange, zest removed with a vegetable peeler in wide strips
• 1 lime - cut into pieces
  
• 5 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 12 soft flour or corn tortillas
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Trim most of the fat from the meat, leaving a thin layer. Cut into 4-inch pieces.

In a large, heavy saucepan, melt the lard over medium-low heat. When it has melted but is not yet very hot, add the pork, water, orange zest, lime pieces, garlic, and salt. Cook at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally so that the meat evenly cooks, for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. If the meat needs more time and all of the water has evaporated, add a bit more water and continue to cook until the meat is tender.

Once the meat is tender, raise the heat to medium-high. (Don't panic if the lard comes to a rolling boil - this will diminish as the water evaporates and will become small bubbles.) After the boiling lard changes to small bubbles, cook the meat for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and crispy all over. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon or tongs and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with the salt. When the meat has cooled slightly, pull the meat apart using 2 forks into shreds and smaller pieces and discard the bones.

To serve, make the tacos with the meat and warm tortillas, and garnish with pico de gallo. Servings: 4-6