Cinco de Mayo! Are you making a Mexican themed dinner tonight? Our family likes a wide variety of foods but one that I know will go over perfectly every time, in almost way, shape or form is... Mexican influenced foods. The kids have been asking for me to make my Chalupa's and special Baja sauce again but I downsized the cookbooks and recipe files I had in the kitchen due to lack of space and packed most of them away. The recipe I usually make and I know everyone raves over is packed away in the storage room somewhere in one of my 6 or 7 boxes of recipes so I haven't made the trek down there to find it yet. However, when I saw this months list of recipes in my Southern Living email newsletter I smiled to see Chalupa's in a Taco Bowl listed.This one was originally sent in by someone from Oklahoma and published in 2005 but you know me... recipes are GUIDES but not to be followed. This had a bone-in pork loin roast and less than half the flavoring it needed. I tweaked the flavors, used a boneless pork roast and although I listed the RoTel tomatoes to look for at your grocery - if you can't find it then use diced tomatoes and add your own lime and chilies accordingly. Adjust all the spices to your family's preference. Have fun with it!
Pork Chalupas in a Bowl
1 pound dried pinto beans
2 1/2 lb. boneless pork loin roast
12 oz. chopped green chiles (3 small store bought cans)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoon chili powder
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (32-ounce) box chicken broth
2 cans (10 oz) RoTel brand style diced tomatoes with green chiles, lime juice and cilantro
8 taco salad shells
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
Toppings: shredded Monterey Jack cheese, pickled jalapeño slices, halved grape tomatoes, sour cream, chopped avocado
Rinse and sort beans according to package directions. Place pinto beans in a 6-quart slow cooker; add roast and next 6 ingredients. Pour chicken broth evenly over top of roast.
Cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour; reduce to LOW, and cook 6-7 hours. Or, cover and cook on HIGH 5-6 hours. (Crock pots and slow cookers made since about 2000 cook much faster and on a higher heat than older crocks.) Remove bones and fat from roast; pull roast into large pieces with two forks. Stir in diced tomatoes and green chiles. Cook, uncovered, on HIGH 1 more hour or until liquid is slightly thickened.
Heat taco salad shells according to package directions; place shredded lettuce evenly into shells. Spoon about 1 cup pork-and-bean mixture into each shell using a slotted spoon. Serve with desired toppings.
