Takeout You Can Make at Home: Chipotle

Blame it on my college student. He and his friends discovered Chipotle Mexican Grill, where hungry college kids can eat a huge meal for about $8 including a drink. Then he got me hooked on it.

Then I started wondering how I could make it at home. A little Google here, a little help from Top Secret Recipes Unlocked by Todd Wilbur, and a tried-and-true Pork Carnitas recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking got me to something that's pretty darn close. It satisfied two Chipotle-loving college students, plus three more people, and there's enough left over for at least 4 lunches. I'm guessing this recipe would yield 8 servings, probably for the price of 2 meals at the restaurant. (Not everyone likes beans, so I didn't make too many there. Just double the recipe if you need more).

There are a lot of components to this meal and some need to be made ahead. So I'm listing these in the order of prep.

Pork Carnitas (my kids said the spice wasn't right for Chipotle, but if I ever figure out what spices they use in the Carnitas, I'll just sub them in and use this technique.)

CHIPOTLE-STYLE PICO DE GALLO

3 medium plum tomatoes (about 1 pound), diced
1/4 cup finely-chopped red onion
2 TBL jalapeno peppers, chopped fine (I used the ones from a jar)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
juice of one lime
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Combine and chill for several hours before serving.
(This was so good and so easy to make! It will be great with tortilla chips too.)


CHIPOTLE-STYLE CORN SALSA

2 12-oz bags frozen corn, thawed
2 TBL jalapeno peppers, chopped fine (I used the ones from a jar)
1/4 to 1/3 cup finely-chopped red onion
1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
juice of one lime
salt to taste

Combine in a large bowl. Serve at room temperature.


CHIPOTLE-STYLE PINTO BEANS
1 can pinto beans with liquid
1 TBL bacon fat
1/4 tsp oregano

Combine in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed (about 25 minutes). Remove from heat and cover until ready to serve.

CHIPOTLE-STYLE BLACK BEANS

1 can black beans with liquid
2 TBL bacon fat
1/4 cup finely-chopped onion
1 heaping TBL minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
dash liquid smoke

Combine in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed (about 25 minutes). Remove from heat and cover until ready to serve.


CHIPOTLE-STYLE CHILANTRO-LIME RICE

In a rice cooker, combine:
3 measures long-grain white rice (my rice measure is less than a cup)
water to correspond with 3 rice measures, depends on the cooker manufacturer --I just fill to the line on the cooker
1 TBL butter

When the rice is cooked, stir in 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro and the juice of one fresh lime.

ADD YOUR OWN TOPPINGS: sour cream, guacamole, Cheddar-Jack cheese

For the record, I got the fresh cilantro from my garden!

Honey Mustard Pork Chops

Here's an easy way to make juicy baked pork chops. Since you bake them in a foil packet, clean-up is really easy.

HONEY MUSTARD PORK CHOPS

4 center-cut boneless pork chops (you can use bone-in but add at least 10 minutes to cooking time)
1 TBL olive oil
2 TBL honey mustard
Garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 350.
Line a 9X13 baking pan with foil, leaving enough overlap so you can close the foil over the top of the pan.
Brush the bottom of the lined pan with olive oil. Place pork chops in a single layer in the pan.
Spread honey mustard over the top of the pork chops. Sprinkle garlic powder and pepper on each.
Top the pork chops with the sliced onions.
Close the foil so the pan is covered tightly.
Bake 45 minutes.

Survival Dinner: Slow-Cooker Pork Chops

This meal is great for days like today.  I have to pick up my daughter from her sports practice sometime after 6, then get dinner on the table, eat, and return to her school for a 7:00 parents' meeting.

I am thankful for my rice cooker (it's filled and ready.  When I leave to pick her up, I'll turn it on) and for microwave "steam-in-the-bag" broccoli.  Those things, and my slow cooker, will allow me to get dinner on the table quickly tonight!

Slow-Cooker Pork Chops

4 boneless pork chops
2 cups barbecue sauce
2 tbl olive oil

Oil a skillet or griddle and brown the pork chops on the outside.  Do not cook them all the way through--they'll finish in the slow cooker.
Spread a little of the barbecue sauce over the bottom of the slow-cooker crock.  Place pork chops on top.  If they overlap, make sure there's some sauce in between the pork chops.  Pour the rest of the barbecue sauce over the pork chops.
Cover and cook 1 hour on high, then switch to low for 3 hours.

Honey Pork Chops

Here is my version of Honey Pork Chops, inspired by the recipe at Alicia's Recipes. I make this in a foil packet for easy cleanup. This can even be done in individual foil packets if you prefer.

1 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
2 apples, peeled & thinly sliced (tart, firm apples like Granny Smith work best)
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons caraway seeds, divided
6 boneless pork chops, (1/2" thick)*
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 TBL Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9X13 baking dish with enough foil that it can be used as a cover. Spray with nonstick baking spray. Layer onions and apples in the bottom of the dish. Drizzle honey on top and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon caraway seeds. Sprinkle pork chops with garlic salt and pepper and spread mustard on them. Place chops on apples (mustard side up) and sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon caraway seeds. Cover and bake 45 minutes.

Note: Thicker or bone-in pork chops will need a longer cook time.

Teriyaki Pork

Teriyaki Pork for Nesco

4 boneless pork chops, cubed
1 tbl cornstarch
1 tbl cold water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup Dark Soy SAUCE (reg. works too)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbl Orange Juice (optional)

Put all of the above into a saucepan over LOW heat until it bubbles...it will thicken up more later. Pour some of the sauce into bottom of cookwell of roaster oven. Add pork cubes and then the rest of the sauce. Bake at 325 degrees; stir 1/2 way through cooking. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

This can also be made in a regular oven, in a Pyrex pan.

I serve it with brown rice...it has a rich, not too sweet sauce.

SOURCE: Bensmom526 at Family Corner

CARBS in the sauce:  70