Here it is, the first Tuesday of the New Year. Wow, 2025. I hope this year goes by quickly. Not that I have anything against this brand new year, but I’m anxious to get to 2026. More on that later – much, much later.
So how did you enjoy this blessed Season of Advent and the Christmas Season thus far? There’s a part of me that so loves the decorations, I wish I could leave them up all year long. While the Christmas Season from a Catholic prespective does not end until the Baptism of the Lord next Sunday, most of us leave our homes decorated until January 6. Last year I took to leaving the Advent Wreath as the centerpiece of our dining room table. I truly enjoy lighting a candle on the wreath for each of the five decades of the Rosary. It serves not only as a visual aid when praying, it is a reminder each and every day to give thanks to the Lord.
We have a devotional corner in the back yard that I enjoy very much. My prayer this year is that I find additional statues; Saint Joseph, Saint Michael, Saint Francis and Our Lady of Guadalupe to place around the yard and garden. Saint Joseph and Saint Michael are for protection. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patroness of the Americas. And Saint Francis would complete our garden while standing as a reminder that all good things come from the Lord.
Wow, guess I wandered off for a minute. That’s okay, it was a nice stroll. Now where were we? Oh yes, the first Tuesday of this beautiful new year. Taco Tuesdays were a nice marketing idea way back when. Today Tijuana Tuesday is the way we like to celebrate an otherwise unassuming day early in the week. And what better way to do that than with a slow cooker supper filling the kitchen – even the whole of the house – with the aromas of a spicy delicious supper that awaits.
Slow-Cooker Pork Roast Carnitas
3 lb boneless Pork Roast
Spicy Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves
1 bunch Green Onions
1/2 cup fresh Cilantro or as desired
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Hot Salsa
1 (10 oz) can Hot Ro-Tel Tomatoes
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 cup Tequila
2 (4 oz) cans Diced Hatch Chilies
12 (taco size) Corn Tortillas
1/2 large Red Onion
2 Roma Tomatoes
1 cup shredded Iceberg Lettuce
Sour Cream as desired
Shredded Mexican Cheese as desired
Hot Nacho Jalapeño Peppers as desired
Cut the roast in half Rub all over with spicy olive oil and set aside.
Peel and thinly slice garlic, divide. Sprinkle roast with half of the garlic, place in the bowl of a slow cooker, garlic sides down. Sprinkle with remaining garlic, salt and pepper.
Slice green onions, mince cilantro leaves. In a bowl mix salsa with the Ro-Tel Tomatoes, set aside.
Add chicken stock and tequila to the bowl of the slow cooker. Top pork with the Hatch Chilies. Spread salsa tomato mixture over the chilies. Finish with green onions and cilantro.
Cover and cook on LOW setting for 6 hours, until meat is tender. Remove pork, cut into chunks. Continue to cook another hour on HIGH.
Drain contents of the slow cooker through a colander. Discard strained liquid. Remove meat chunks, let cool slightly. Shred with 2 forks and return to the slow cooker. Stir to blend contents of the colander into the shredded pork well, let simmer until ready to serve.
In a skillet with a little oil, fry tortillas to a tender crispness. Pat with paper towels to absorb any excess grease. Stack and keep warm until ready to serve.
Cut onion in half from root to tip. Reserve half for another use. Peel and thinly slice remaining half on the onion, break apart and set aside. Seed and dice tomatoes. Shred lettuce.
To assemble, spread sour cream as desired on the tortillas. Ppoon about 2/3 cup meat mixture onto each tortilla, top with a few sliced onions, diced tomatoes, and shredded lettuce as desired. Finish with some cheese and hot peppers if desired, fold tortillas like a taco.
Serve up with refried beans and a pitcher of Margaritas. Happy Tuesday!
When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
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