Braised Pork Enchiladas with Pineapple Salsa
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Recipe Intro From lisathompson
We know what you're thinking... Enchiladas for Easter? That's right. Traditional enchiladas are upgraded with pineapple braised pork (inspired by the incredible flavors of al pastor tacos), thanks to Del Monte® Deluxe Gold® Pineapple. The sweet flavor of pineapple complements the hot & spicy flavors like jalapeño and chili pepper. You need this dish on your Easter table.
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Recipe Card
Pineapple Braised Pork
ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 (20 ounce) can Del Monte® Deluxe Gold® Pineapple Chunks
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 medium red onion, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 cup cilantro stems (leaves reserved), roughly chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 limes, juiced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
Enchiladas
ingredients
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 (10 ounce) can red or green enchilada sauce
- 2 cups reserved defatted pineapple braising liquid
- Pineapple Braised Pork, shredded
- 4 ounces Mexican style melting cheese (such as queso Oaxaca, queso quesadilla, or monterey jack), shredded
- 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese
Pineapple Salsa
ingredients
- 1 (20 ounce) can Del Monte® Deluxe Gold® Pineapple Chunks, drained and chopped
- remaining 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup reserved cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, finely chopped and seeded if desired
- 1 lime, juiced
- kosher salt, to taste
Braise the Pork
Method
Step 1
Preheat oven to 300F degrees.
Step 2
Season pork generously all over with kosher salt. Add pork, contents of Pineapple Chunks can, chicken stock, red onion, cilantro stems, garlic, bay leaves, lime juice, chili powder, and 1 teaspoon salt to a large oven-safe pot and stir to distribute. Transfer pot to oven uncovered for 2 hours, turning pork in braising liquid halfway through. Cover pot and continue braising for 1 more hour, pork should be fork-tender and shred easily.
Step 3
Remove pork from braising liquid, leaving the pineapple in the braising liquid while discarding bay leaves. Reserve braising liquid separately. (At this point you can refrigerate pork and braising liquid separately overnight and resume the following day.) Skim as much fat off the top of braising liquid as possible and discard. (This is very easy if braising liquid has been refrigerated!)
Assemble the Enchiladas
Step 1
Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Warm tortillas wrapped in a damp towel in oven for 5 minutes.
Step 2
Blend defatted pineapple braising liquid until smooth. Gently warm on the stovetop in a small pot.
Step 3
Add ½ cup braised pineapple puree to shredded pork and stir to coat.
Step 4
Stir or blend prepared enchilada sauce into remaining braised pineapple puree, then spread a few spoonfuls of sauce into the bottom of a 9x13” casserole dish.
Step 5
Working one at a time, fill each warm corn tortilla with about ¼ cup shredded pork and roll tightly into a cylinder. Place in a casserole dish seam side down and repeat with remaining tortillas.
Step 6
Top enchiladas evenly with a few generous spoonfuls of sauce, then top with shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Make Pineapple Salsa
Step 1
Meanwhile, toss chopped Pineapple Chunks, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime juice in a medium bowl. Taste and season with kosher salt as needed.
To Serve
Step 1
Top enchiladas with crumbled cotija cheese and some pineapple salsa. Serve with a side of any additional salsa, if desired.