Yes, I speak Nahuatl, the ancient tongue of the Aztecs. Do you? Well of course! You see, the word, chipotle, comes from Nahuatl (as does avocado) and we all deftly pronounce it these days. As for me, chipotle conjures up a vision of rustic, spicy, smoky mystery that is simply amazing in almost any dish. So when my son, Alex, suggested we make Chipotle Carnitas, I was all in! Four hours later, I was expecting a carnitas baby and plotting the perfect use of the abundant carnitas that remained – Chipotle Carnitas Hash.
Now I should mention that this particular hashcapade took place in Wyoming, in the very home in which I was raised by wolves, er, I mean my 5 siblings. Why? Because during the frigid Wyoming winters, we use the outdoors as a giant refrigerator. More precisely, we store beer, wine, leftover turkey, pies and other holiday goodies in the solarium adjoining Mom’s house. Protected from critters, except her cat, everything stays marvelously cold! That’s where we left the carnitas to remain steeped in its juicy goodness to await its destiny…
The next morning, we set the pot of carnitas on the stove and kept to a low simmer. In the meantime, I commenced the hashing and mincing of basic ingredients: Russet potatoes (unpeeled), onions, cilantro and garlic. Added to the pan in stages, I then set about crumbling the queso fresco and chopping the cilantro. Finally, I pulled the pork with a fork and added juices from the pan to add more flavor and keep it moist.
Expectations were high as Alex and Rachel watched me plate the hash – first the potato hash topped by forkfuls of carnitas, then sprinkles of queso fresco and cilantro, and then a fried egg plus more cheese & cilantro. We eagerly tucked into the carnitas hash and only one word could describe our collective approval – ¡Olé!
Further below is the recipe for the hash itself. A note on the actual carnitas recipe – don’t boil away all the juices, leave about 1/3 and skip roasting the carnitas. Flavor and moisture are your friends!
Happy Hashcapades,
Clark
2 cloves garlic, minced
Yum! I’m trying this one, thank you.
My boyfriend and I came across this the other night, two nights ago to be exact. We had to try it! Well, first I had to make carnitas right? So I followed your link and bought the pork culo, well shoulder actually but it sounds funnier my way. Everything was in the pot, ready to go and I realized I had a prior committment for 2 hours and was terrified to leave the pot simmering at home unattended. So I turned in super low and off I went. Came home and got it back to a fine simmer. BUT…bedtime came before it was done. So into the fridge with the pot….and I’m not even sure if a person can do that and finish off the next day but I guess I’ll find out tonight. So needless to say I haven’t even gotten to the taco part much less the hash! I blame you, you know? I’ll keep you posted……M
Oh it smells so amazing and my belly is rumbling! I stole a morsel and tasted it and it is sooooo good. I guess it was worth the wait and I thank you for the recipe again. Tacos for tonight and has for tomorrow….if there’s any left!
Matina,
I’m soooo glad you like the carnitas recipe – isn’t it the best? It is a time commitment for sure, but worth every second!
I’m curious if you boiled off all the juices or not. I left about a third and it helped concentrate the flavor and keep it tender and moist!
Happy Hashcapades!
Clark
Oh wow is all I can say. It was worth the two days it took me. I boiled most of the liquid off. It wasn’t totally dry when I was done cause I figured that would be bad. While it was finishing up I looked at some of the rest of your hashes (is that a word? It should be). I think I’m gonna eat my way through your blog. Tonight will be the chipotle carnita hash and then….so many choices!
Thanks again. I’m sure you’ll be hearing more from me. Oh and my boyfriend is probably happier than I am that I found your blog.
I’m delighted you enjoyed your very own hashcapade based on my post – very exciting!
Yes, it is appropriate to say “hashes” for different styles. Similar to “fishes” when more than one species is discussed 🙂
Thanks for your generous and engaging comments – I look forward to hearing your thoughts on other hashes!
Happy Hashcapades,
Clark