I finally decided that it has been too long and I must share the list of recipes I've been holding onto for the last month. A while back I created a fusion Mexican carnitas torta, combining California cuisine with Mexican. Instead of the typical pork, guacamole, cheese sandwich, I decided to give this torta an update. Fried avocado, fresh pico de gallo, slow-braised pork, Monterey Jack cheese, and roasted jalapenos complete this beauty of a sandwich. My mouth is salivating just remembering how delicious this torta was...

Recipe

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Mexican Carnitas Torta

Total Time3 hours hrs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: pork, sandwich

Servings: 6

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Pork Carnitas

• 3 lb pork shoulder bone-less
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion chopped into 1 inch chunks
• 4 cloves garlic
• juice of 2 oranges
• 1 cup chicken broth

Chipotle Aioli

• juice of ½ lime
• 1 chipotle canned in adobo sauce
• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• salt and pepper

Pico de gallo

• 3 medium tomatoes diced
• ½ small red onion diced
• 1 bunch cilantro chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• salt and pepper

Fried Avocado

• 2 avocados
• ½ cup flour
• 2 eggs whisked
• ½ cup panko
• salt

Remaining Ingredients

• 2 jalapenos
• 6 torta rolls
• 6 slices Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Prepare the pork. Combine salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, paprika, onion powder, and olive oil. Spread rub evenly onto the pork. Lay chopped onion and garlic into a deep baking dish. Place pork on top and pour the juice of 2 oranges and chicken broth into the pan. Cover and bake for 2 ½ hours or until the meat easily shred apart. Remove from oven and shred the meat using two forks. Keep warm.
• Meanwhile, prepare the chipotle aioli. Blend together lime juice, chipotle and mayonnaise until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Make the pico de gallo. Finely chop the tomatoes and combine with finely chopped red onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Thinly slice the jalapenos. Heat 2 teaspoon oil in a saute pan over medium heat and cook the jalapenos until lightly charred and softened. Set aside.
• Prepare the fried avocado. Cut the avocado in half, discarding the pit. Scoop out the flesh using a spoon and slice into ¼ inch thick slices. Coat the sliced avocado in the flour, followed by the egg then panko. Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Carefully place the avocado into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Flip and cook on the other side. Remove and place on paper towels to blot the excess oil. Sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
• Toast the bread. Assemble the sandwiches. Spread chipotle mayo on the buns followed by carnitas, Monterey Jack cheese, fried avocado, roasted jalapenos, and pico de gallo. Serve immediately.

**Helpful Tips and Common Mistakes

Braised meats may be one of my favorite ways to enjoy red meats. Sure the cooking takes a while but the end result is completely worth it. Not to mention that once you put the meat in the oven, all you have to do is wait!

For this Mexican carnitas torta, you will be preparing traditional carnitas. Prepare the meat either in the oven or in the slow cooker for a tender, fall-apart pork sandwich. If preparing in the slow cooker, it will take about 6-8 hours. When the pork is ready, it should easily shred with just the help of 2 forks.

While the pork is cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients. The chipotle aioli, roasted jalapeno, and pico de gallo can all be prepared the day before. In fact, I suggest you make the pico de gallo at least one hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

Fry the avocado and you are almost ready to enjoy this torta! Bread the avocado just as you would if you were making chicken parmesan. Coat the sliced avocado in flour, shaking off the excess. Dip in the egg then coat the avocado in panko to create a crispy exterior. Fry until golden brown and set aside.

Assemble the Mexican carnitas torta, sit back and enjoy this beautiful sandwich you've put together! I admit this was one of the more labor-intensive sandwiches I've created but wow, it was amazing. Now it's time to kick off my shoes and relax.

If you happen to have extra carnitas, simmer it in chipotle mojo sauce and make these awesome chipotle mojo pork tacos!

For more sandwich inspiration check out this crispy pork belly sandwich with meyer lemon relish!