Chipotle Pulled Pork Masa Cakes

INGREDIENTS:

  • * 1 1/2lb Pork Butt (Shoulder)
  • * 1/2 Onion, big diced
  • * 4 Garlic Cloves, peeled
  • * 2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
  • * 1 (8oz) Can Tomato Sauce
  • * 2 Tbsp Honey
  • * 2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
  • * 1 Lime, Juice
  • * 1 tsp Cumin Powder
  • * Salt, to taste
  • * 1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • * 1/2 stick of cinnamon
  • * 1 Bay leaf
  • * 1 Cup Masa Harina (gluten-free)
  • * 1 tsp salt
  • * 1 Tbsp Sugar
  • * 3/4 Cup Hot Tap Water
  • * Oil for frying
  • * Cheese
  • * Pickled onions (recipe link http://picturetherecipe.com/index.php/recipes/quick-easy-pickled-red-onions/)
  • * Cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. – In a blender jar add the onion, garlic, chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, tomato sauce, honey, white wine vinegar, the juice of 1 lime, cumin and salt. Blend to make a smooth paste.
  2. – Turn your Instant pot to Saute mode and once heated add a touch of olive oil. Season the pork butt with salt and pepper to taste and sear the meat on all sides.
  3. – Take out the meat and set aside.
  4. – Add a touch more olive oil to the pot, add the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Saute for a minute to release their flavor.
  5. – Add the blended puree and saute for 4-5 minutes.
  6. – Cut the meat into 4 chunks and add them to the pot in the sauce.
  7. – Close the lid and set vent to sealing. Set on manual mode- high pressure- 45 mins- natural release
  8. – Once the float valve sinks, carefully take of the lid.
  9. – Take out the meat, shred it with forks and return the shredded meat to the pot and let it sit in the sauce to soak up the flavors.
  10. – For the Masa corn cakes: In a bowl, mix together the masa harina, salt and sugar.
  11. – Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the hot water.
  12. – Mix with a spoon until to wet all the masa, then using your hands knead the dough briefly to form a ball.
  13. – Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 10 minutes
  14. – While the dough is resting. Cut the sides of a large ziploc bag (or you can use cling wrap or wax paper if you want).
  15. – Take a palm size scoop of the masa dough and roll it into a ball.
  16. – Place the ball on the ziploc plastic and flatten the dough slightly. Fold the bag over the dough and using a flat bottom dish /or plate (preferably glass so you can see what you are doing) press to flatten the dough evenly into 1/4 inch thick disc.
  17. – Unfold the ziploc and using a cookie cutter, or jar lid of your choice…cut out the cracked edges. (You can also just smoothen the edges with your hands instead of cutting them out)
  18. – Transfer the masa cakes to a cling film lined tray and cover with a damp cloth while you repeat the process to form the remaining masa cakes. (the dough typically makes about 10-12 masa cakes depending on the size you cut them)
  19. – Heat some avocado/grapeseed/canola/corn/ vegetable oil in a small frying pan on medium-high heat.
  20. – Fry the masa cakes one-at-a-time or in small batches (depending on the size of your pan) for a couple minutes on each side until they turn a golden brown. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
  21. – Transfer the masa cakes to a sheet pan and sprinkle some cheese over each one (you can skip this step if you want to keep the recipe dairy-free). Broil in the oven for 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts.
  22. – Top the masa cakes with some pulled pork, pickled red onions (see recipe link below) and some fresh cilantro.
  23. – Serve immediately and Enjoy!

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Image Source:*mealplannerpro.com

Source:mealplannerpro.com

Appetizers
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