Pork Quesadillas
By MJ Adams
Ingredients:
2-3 lb. pork butt or shoulder
2 large, fresh poblano peppers
2 cloves garlic, rough-chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 small onion, peeled and diced
1/2 T. ground cumin
salt & pepper
2 sprigs thyme
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1-2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 T. olive oil or corn oil (plus more for brushing onto tortillas)
1 package small or medium flour tortillas
2 limes
Optional for garnish:
Mexican crema (Substitute creme fraiche or sour cream)
1 avocado sliced or mashed with dash of lime & salt
2 T. chopped cilantro
pickled jalapeños
Note
• Do not trim the pork butt unless it is especially fatty. Fat retains flavor.
Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Warm 1 T. olive on medium heat in large, oven-proof pan.
- Add pork shoulder. (If large, cut in half.) Brown all sides. Season with salt, pepper and cumin while cooking. Remove from pan.
- Add carrots, onion and garlic to pan. Cook for one minute.
- Add 1 ½ cup of the chicken stock, pork, and fresh thyme. Bring to boil. Cover.
- Bake in oven for at least 2½ hours, occasionally checking stock level. f stock evaporates, add enough stock or water to keep level at 1 cup. Pork should flake easily with fork when ready.
- While pork bakes, roast, de-seed and julienne peppers.
- Remove pork from oven. Cool for 5-10 minutes covered.
- Remove lid. Remove thyme sprig.
- Shred pork.
- Add cooked vegetables to pork and mash together.
- Add juice of ½ lime.
- Add salt to taste.
- Add chopped cilantro.
Assembly:
- Place open tortilla on flat surface.
- Add shredded pork, leaving ¼” around tortilla edge.
- Sprinkle cheese evenly over pork.
- Add serving of peppers.
- Press second tortilla firmly down on top of pork, cheese and peppers.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side in lightly oiled skillet on medium heat or bake on lightly oiled sheet pan at 375 degrees.
- Cool and cut into triangles.
- Drizzle with Mexican crema & barnish with avocado, jalapenos, lime wedges.
- Serve with margaritas, Mexican beer or Gewurztraminer.
Watch an extended cut of Chef MJ Adams preparing pork quesadillas with Peggy Greenway of Greenway Pork.
