Pork Taco Bowls

Shredded Pork Taco Bowl

WITH:
shredded pork
coconut rice
seasoned black beans
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
diced tomato
diced red onion
cilantro
avocado

A Dutch oven favorite!  
...especially in the oven outside,
all the cooking heat stays out of the house.

2  (30 oz.) cans tomato sauce
9 TABLESPOONS chili powder
9 TABLESPOONS light brown sugar
8 heaping teaspoons ground cumin
6 teaspoons ground coriander
3 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 bundle (8-10 cloves) pressed garlic
3-4 medium yellow onions, sliced into rings
6-8 pound pork shoulder (or buttocks) trimmed of any excess fat


Pre-heat oven to 250 for 4-6 hours of cook time.

Pre-heat oven to 325 for 3-4 hours of cook time.



Combine the tomato sauce, chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, coriander, Kosher salt, pepper and garlic in a small bowl.

Place onion slices on the bottom of your cookware

IE:  enameled cast iron pot, extra-deep Pampered Chef stoneware baker, dutch oven... your pick.

Please note:  with the extra-deep Pampered Chef stoneware baker you must cover with its lid OR use a double or triple layer of foil while baking.

Place meat, fatty side up, into your preferred baking pot/dish on top of the onion slices.

Pour tomato sauce mixture over the meat and onion slices, making sure the sauce gets under the meat and onions as well.

Cover.  Bake.  Check.

Check by testing the meat:  it should shred.
If not, re-cover and bake for an additional 30-45 minutes and test again.



Some additional toppings that are favorites in our home are as follows: 
(and are easy to do while your pork is cooking!)

Seasoned Black Beans:

(I prefer making my own - this recipe is for either 4 cans of black beans, "No Salt Added"; or one bag of dry black beans - pressure cooked)

4 cans of black beans ("NO Salt Added" is preferred as previously noted)

DO PLEASE DRAIN AND RINSE your black beans which ever way you decided to go!

3-4 cups water (The amount will depend on how long you let the beans simmer for. If they start to get too dry, add water)

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

1 TABLESPOON cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

Optional (and preferred): 

2 Tablespoons “Better Than Bouillon” chicken broth

Let simmer on low for 15 to 30 minutes.

Coconut Rice

2 cups water

1 15 oz. can coconut milk

2 cups jasmine white rice

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

In medium pot or large fry pan (pan with a lid!). 

Stir and bring all to a boil on med/high.

Boil/stir for one minute.

Put lid on pot. 

Turn burner to lowest setting and cook for 22-24 minutes. 

Remove from heat and let rest for 5-10 minutes.  

ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS:

Lime wedges 

Diced red onions 

Diced tomatoes 

Lettuce 

Cilantro

Diced avocado 

Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 

A Dutch oven named  BERTHA.
15+ pounds of pork...
the recipe quadrupled.
It was a LOT of food   :0)

What was I thinking??!! 

Out of the fire on a windy day,
and trying to cook 15+ pounds of pork!?
NOT my best moment. 

I orginally took this photo to show 
y'all the color of the charcoal.

Looking at it now, I really should have
made the fire-pit big enough for Bertha 
...and LEFT HER IN THE FIRE to cook!

Moving my quadrupled batch to the oven.
Not my favorite moment of the day.
...But happy to be in Oregon(!) with my parents, 
my sisters and their families so it all evens out.  :O)

The fire ended up being good for something in the end.
The kids got to have dessert FIRST since we realized
dinner was going to be much (much!) later than planned.

Eventually we all got to eat... at around 9:30PM
AND had leftovers for a few days!

(Try to cook OUT of the fire you ask?
...NEVER  AGAIN!!!)

Click Link FOR:       Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS

GLUTEN-FREE: Mama Jo's Banana Bread

GLUTEN-FREE  VERSION  -  BANANA  BREAD

1. CREAM:

1/2 cup softened butter

1  1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 egg yolks  

(SAVE your egg whites!  

Put them aside in a bowl to whisk at the VERY end...)

2. COMBINE:

2 cups mashed bananas 

(about 5-7 medium/large very ripe bananas)

1-2 teaspoons lemon juice

3. ADD:
1/2 cup buttermilk

4. MIX IN A SEPARATE BOWL:

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups Gluten-Free flour mixture

GLUTEN-FREE  FLOUR  MIX:

3 cups Bob's Red Mill -  RICE FLOUR
1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill -  TAPIOCA FLOUR
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill -  POTATO STARCH
1 heaping Tablespoon Bob's Red Mill -  XANTHAN GUM
1/2 Tablespoon sea salt 

Mix throughly - keep in an air tight container or fridge.
(Note: When using in a recipe as a wheat flour substitute - OMIT up to 1 teaspoon salt.)

Heat oven to 350.  

Cream together softened butter with the sugar.  
Then add and mix in egg yolks and vanilla.  
Mix well with a hand held mixer.

In their own bowl, pile up 5-7 naked bananas. 
Add 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice.  
Using the same hand held mixer, mash up all your bananas with the lemon juice.  
Combine with your creamed ingredients.

Add 1/2 cup buttermilk to the creamed items and mashed bananas; mixing with the hand held mixer.

Then add the combined dry ingredients; mixing again with a hand held mixer.

Beat the egg whites in a bowl until light and fluffy with a small whisk or fork.

Fold in beaten egg whites.

***Grease baking dish(s) with refined coconut oil (LouAna's is best!), or Pam cooking spray if you are doing a designed baking pan, and then dust with sugar.  

The stars are to make sure you know this is important --- grease, then dust with sugar... 
If you have questions about the sugar dusting, please re-read Emily's Brownie post.  
If you still have questions after that, please don't ask them.  
It's best with the dusting of sugar.  
I won't promise amazing without it.

Fill whatever you are baking in NEARLY to the top!  You only want to leave 1/2 inch space between the level of your batter and the top of your pan.  No more, no less. 

Bake muffins for 15-20 minutes.  
Small loaves 25-35 minutes.  
Large loaf 40-60 minutes.  

(OR UNTIL CAKE TESTER OR THIN KNIFE COMES OUT CLEAN and BREAD IS A DEEP GOLDEN BROWN.)

My favorite for baking this recipe: 

a mini-bundt pan from Pampered Chef Stoneware 

with 6 bundts.  

They take 30-40 minutes.

For instructional photos, please visit the original post for this recipe.

Click Link FOR:    Mama Jo's Banana Bread - (original recipe)

Click Link FOR:     Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS

GLUTEN-FREE Brownies

BROWNIE  RULES:

DO NOT OVER MIX YOUR BROWNIES  or they will turn out like cake.  If I'm going to eat all the calories in a brownie, I have to say I will not eat a cake-y brownie. Brownies are supposed to be gooey and moist ...and NOT CAKE.  :O)

When you are mixing a brownie batch, mix the dry ingredients together as much as you'd like.  Then, in a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients together... as much as you'd like!

BUT, when you mix them together... STOP when all the dry ingredients are moistened. AND let it sit for a few minutes (10 if you need to set a timer) before you pull it into a baking pan.

GLUTEN-FREE  FLOUR  MIX:

3 cups Bob's Red Mill -  RICE FLOUR
1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill -  TAPIOCA FLOUR
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill -  POTATO STARCH
1 heaping Tablespoon Bob's Red Mill -  XANTHAN GUM
1/2 Tablespoon sea salt 

Mix throughly - keep in an air tight container or fridge.
(Note: When using in a recipe as a wheat flour substitute - OMIT up to 1 teaspoon salt.)

DRY  INGREDIENTS: 

2 1/4 cups GLUTEN-FREE flour mix
3 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

WET  INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup butter, melted  (...that's 1 and a 1/2 sticks of butter.)

7 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 375.

In a glass bowl (or whatever is NOT metal...) melt the butter in the microwave.

In a mixing bowl combine and mix all dry ingredients.

Make a well in the middle of your dry ingredients. 

Add melted butter (once cooled), beaten eggs and vanilla to the well in the middle of your mixed dry ingredients.

Mix wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until just barely combined.

LET  BROWNIE  MIX  REST  FOR  5-10  MINUTES.

Grease a 9X13 baking pan with refined coconut oil (coconut oil WITHOUT the coconut flavor), and dust with sugar.

Pull brownie mixture into pan and level it out before putting in the oven.

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

Let cool 30-50 minutes before cutting up into squares.

Wishing there was a "Scratch-and-Sniff"
sticker for you here...  :O)

Mix your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
In the middle, make a well for the wet ingredients. 

If it says "7 eggs beaten", you actually do need to beat the eggs...

Add beaten eggs, vanilla and butter to the dry ingredients.

Mix together until the dry ingredients and wet ingredients
are barely integrated like this photo.

Then let rest 5-10 minutes before finishing
mixing and incorporating the wet and dry.

Grease your 9X13 pan generously with refined coconut oil.
Dust with sugar.  This shouldn't be an issue anymore...
We've talked about using sugar to dust for a few years now.  :O)

When you pull the brownie mix from the bowl (literally pulling...)
Take your scraper or wooden mixing spoon and pull the top to the edges
of the baking pan until they're even and nearly flat.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

You'll know they're done when there is no longer a DARK and un-baked middle.
And it will smell like brownies...

If you can stand the wait:
Let cool 30-50 minutes before cutting up into squares.

Click Link FOR:       Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS

RED CHILI

Make this GLUTEN-FREE by reading your chili bean labels... It's amazing (ANNOYING) how much gluten is put into the food we eat.  Unless you're making each item from the beginning,  YOU  HAVE  TO  READ  THE  LABEL!  For those of you not really needing to avoid an allergen food - it's still good habit to at least take the time once in a while to grab up an item you purchase often, flip it over to the listed ingredients and then take a few minutes to read (TRY to read!  Sound it out using your kindergarten phonic skills...) the listed ingredients.  If you have no clue or it looks suspicious, ask GOOGLE!  :O)  I have learned amazing things about thickeners and natural ingredients derived from trees that looked suspicious... but are just amazing feats of nature!

As for the title of this recipe, I had to label it RED  CHILI, otherwise in 10 years when my kids are flipping through this cookbook they won't know what it is!  I make several chili recipes... BBQ Chicken Chili is another favorite, so they have come to be known in our house as such.  If you have a copy of my cookbook that I started 14 years ago, this is called "Great Quick Chili" in there.  However, it has definitely evolved over time and is NOW as follows:  

THOUGH  THE  TITLE  IS  UPDATED...

- THIS  ONE  IS  STILL  GREAT  AND  QUICK!!!!

RED  CHILI  -  OR  -  "GREAT,  QUICK  CHILI"

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 lbs. lean ground beef

1 lb pork sausage - hot/Kroger brand preferred

1 1/2 cups chopped onion  

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 bundle of garlic (6-8 garlic cloves) minced

3/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper

1/2  cup salsa

2 cans (30 oz.) tomato sauce

4 cans (15 oz.) Bush's chili beans

1 can (15oz.) kidney beans

In a large enameled dutch oven or large cooking pot, brown sausage, ground beef with olive oil and chopped onion.

Add seasonings and salsa.  

Add garlic and cook until garlic is browning slightly.

Add canned items and bring to a simmer.  

Simmer partially covered with a lid for 30 - 45 minutes.  

Stir chili every 5-10 minutes, making sure to grab the beans on the bottom of the pot.

This certainly is a stand alone meal... but it is spectacular when served with cornbread!!! 

A perfect pair!!!
CORNBREAD  and  CHILI...

(click the link below for the cornbread recipe)

Mama Jo's Gluten-FREE Cornbread

Always take a minute and read your labels.
 You may be surprised  how much more your buying - and then eating...  

Sizes for accomplishing 1 1/2 cups chopped onions: 1 extremly large onion, 2 medium onions, or 3 smallish garden onions...

Click Link FOR:    Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS

GLUTEN-FREE Cornbread

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1 cup  AND  2 Tablespoons  GLUTEN-FREE flour mix

1/2 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1/4 cup melted refined coconut oil 

(it does NOT taste like coconut…)

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 

Preheat your oven to 375.

Combine dry ingredients together in a bowl, making a void in the center for your wet ingredients.

Add into the dry ingredient void: beaten egg, milk, and the melted coconut oil.  

Stir SLIGHTLY - ONLY until the dry ingredients are moist and then STOP.

Let sit 20 minutes.   AND  DO  NOT  STIR.

Pull into a well greased (with refined coconut oil) and lightly sugared 9X9 pan.

(OR  pull into a bundt pan sprayed with cooking spray and lightly sugared.)

Spread out the dough with your fingers and the back of your mixing spoon until the top is even and as flat as you can manage without handling it TOO much...

Bake at 375 F for 22-25 minutes, or until a golden brown along the edges and dark golden brown spotting on top.

Cut into squares (or wedges from your bundt!).  

Serve warm with soft butter or in the middle of a bowl of chili.

To re-heat or serve as leftovers:  Split serving squares and place middle facing up on a baking sheet.  Broil for 2 minutes and lightly butter tops.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 

NOTES:  

Original recipe called for shortening.  Coconut oil is better for you, and it translates perfectly for the shortening.

GLUTEN-FREE CORNMEAL:
Now let's talk about cornmeal... corn in naturally GLUTEN-FREE.  Most store-bought bags of processed cornmeal is not.   If you have a food allergy or intolerance you know your life revolves around reading food labels and making your own food to have ingredient control.  I find it is easiest on me to grind my own cornmeal.  If  you have a huge question mark over your head as to how you'd go about making your own...  It's straight up as simple as ground popping corn kernels.  :O)  You need a bag of popping corn (usually the bottom shelf under the microwave kinds...)  and a grain grinder.  Make sure you check your cornmeal for any kernels that didn't get ground-up all the way before you toss your cornbread together!!!

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 

GLUTEN-FREE  FLOUR  MIX:

3 cups Bob's Red Mill -  RICE FLOUR
1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill -  TAPIOCA FLOUR
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill -  POTATO STARCH
1 heaping Tablespoon Bob's Red Mill -  XANTHAN GUM
1/2 Tablespoon sea salt 

Mix throughly - keep in an air tight container or fridge.
(Note: When using in a recipe as a wheat flour substitute - OMIT up to 1 teaspoon salt.)

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 

Click Link FOR:      Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS