Casa de Crews: Carnitas with Queso Fresco Enchiladas for #SundaySupper

A few weeks ago, I bought a pork roast and had NO idea what to do with it. I knew I could bake it and serve with the traditional sides, but I was uninspired by this idea, and wanted something new to eat. I also wanted something easy. After scouring the internet, I decided I would give pork carnitas a try. This meal did not disappoint, ya'll. The aroma was mouth watering, and I could not wait to dig in.

We ate pork for days. On corn tortillas, over salad, in a rice bowl--you get the idea. When I saw that this week's theme for Sunday Supper called for one pot recipes, I knew I had to share these carnitas with ~~the world~~ you all. I haven't had enchiladas in years, but knew that pork carnitas enchiladas would be a hit at Casa de Crews. The fact that Jason and I ahem, tested this recipe for breakfast one morning just confirmed my decision to make these.

Since I am trying to lose weight, I made two changes to the typical way you may see pork carnitas prepared {or any shredded pork for that matter}; I swapped pork shoulder for sirloin to save around 130 calories for a 4oz serving, and used thin corn tortillas, which average 120 calories for three.

Pork Carnitas with Queso Fresco Enchiladas
adapted from Pinch of Yum

Ingredients:

For the pork:
4-5 lb. pork sirloin, or shoulder if you prefer
5 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon corriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg
juice of 2 limes
juice of 2 oranges {or 1/2 cup orange juice}
12 ounces light beer
½ cup salsa

For the enchilada assembly:
1 15 oz can of enchilada sauce, however I made my own from Peas and Crayons, here
10 corn tortillas
1 cup queso fresco white cheese
1/2 cup cilantro

To make:

Place the pork roast in the slow cooker. Roughly chop the garlic and place in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the meat with salt, cumin, coriander, chili powder, black pepper, oregano, and cinnamon. Rub seasonings onto the pork.

Add lime juice, orange juice, beer, and salsa. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Shred meat with two forks directly in the slow cooker.It should shred apart easily after cooking for 8 hours.

Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the shredded meat on the cooking sheet and pour a few spoonfuls of sauce over the top. Broil for 5-10 minutes or until you get browned edges on the pork.

To make enchiladas, preheat oven to 400. Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp cloth or paper towel and microwave on high for 20-30 seconds. Five at a time. This will help to avoid your tortillas from crumbling during assembly.

Spoon approx 1/3 cup enchilada sauce to bottom of baking dish.

Spoon shredded pork, queso fresco, and cilantro into tortillas. Roll tortillas, and place seam down into baking dish. The whole enchilada assembly reminds me of lasagna prep!

Add remainder of enchilada sauce, cheese and cilantro to filled tortillas. Bake for 20 minutes.

Allow enchiladas to cool before digging in. Makes five servings with two per person. Enjoy!

To see what other one pot creations are being made, see the recipes below!