Recipes: Pork Carnitas

By BETH DOOLEY, Special to the Star Tribune

Last update: January 16, 2008 - 3:39 PM

Pork Carnitas Serves 6 The term carnitas simply means roasted little cubes of meat. Here, pork is tossed with garlic, onion, cumin and chile pepper. If you're serving these with rice or pasta, get the pot going as you pop these into the oven and they will both be done at once. • 2 lb. boneless pork (loin, tenderloin, chop) • 2 tbsp. corn oil • 4 cloves garlic, minced • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, deveined and minced • 1 onion, minced • 1 tbsp. chili powder, preferably ancho • Salt and freshly ground black pepper Directions Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the pork with oil, garlic, pepper, onion and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the pork on a baking sheet and roast until lightly crisped, about 15 to 20 minutes. Nutrition information per serving: Calories 305 Protein 34 g Carbohydrates 3 g Fat 17 g Saturated fat 5 g Cholesterol 97 mg Sodium 72 mg Calcium 19 mg Dietary fiber 1 g Diabetic exchanges per serving: 5 lean meat, 1/2 fat.