You guys!! This was so good. And if nothing else then just make the sweet potato chips because those were yummy by themselves. It looks like a lot of work, but it is worth it!
Also this is pork carnitas. I have a recipe up for pork carnitas, but used a different one for the arepas. I like this one for the arepas and the other one for street tacos. But you can try it for yourself and see what you like.
There are 4-5 things you have to make. Sounds like a lot but totally worth it. They are 1. The Arepa 2. The Pork 3. The Avocado Sauce 4. Sweet Potato Chips 5. Pickled Onions
Done early in the day.
Pork: Slow Cooker (This is a lot of meat so you could probably half the recipe and be good)
4-5 lbs pork shoulder
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 Tbsp Salt
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 limes, juiced
1/2 C Orange Juice
1 C Chicken Broth
1/2 C Salsa
Combine the salt, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, oregano, cinnamon, and cayenne. Rub the seasonings onto the pork. Put pork in slow cooker. Sprinkle the garlic on top. Add the lime juice, orange juice, chicken broth, and salsa. Cover and cook for 8 hours on low. Shred meat with fork. You can broil the pork after it is shredded to get the crispy pieces, but I always forget.
Pickled Onions (We ate these without the onions and they were still good, but would have been awesome with them)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced (I used a mandolin and it was awesome!)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together until sugar and salt is fully dissolved. Place onion in a jar or bowl. Pour vinegar mixture over onions and let them sit. The longer they sit the better. Best if they sit for a day before eating them.
Make the arepas and prepare the sweet potatoes because you can fry them together. Then make the sauces as everything cooks.
Arepas
3 C white corn flour (Masa Harina or any brand of corn flour really)
3 1/4 C warm water
1 tsp salt
Oil
Pour warm water in a bowl and stir in the salt. Mix till dissolved. Add the flour. Knead the mixture. It will be very soft. Make sure there are not any lumps. Let the dough sit for 3-5 minutes. Add oil about 1/4 inch to a skillet and heat. Divide the dough into 8-12 pieces. Roll the piece into a ball and then pat them down into discs with your hand. Press your thumbs around the outside of the disc to form an edge. Put arepas in the oil to cook. Let them get golden brown on each side so it is basically cooked through. Pull them out when they have a dry fried exterior.
Sweet Potato Chips
2 Sweet Potatoes, Thinly sliced
Salt
Oil
Peel the sweet potatoes. Chop off the little ends and then thinly slice the potato. Fry the sweet potatoes in the oil. Let them get crispy. Add some salt when you pull them out of the oil.
Avocado Sauce
1 avocado
1 C packed Cilantro leaves
1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds moved (I only used part of one)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 C water
1/2 C Olive oil
1 tsp Salt
1/2 C pistachios
Pulse all ingredients except the pistachios in the food processor until incorporated. Then add the pistachios and blend until smooth or little small chunks.
Assembly:
Cut the arepas in half and open. Add the pork, sweet potato chips, and onions. Spread the avocado sauce on the top half of the arepa. Put the two halves together and eat! So yummy!!
