Vegan Pork Carnitas for Adam

My friend Adam I think was trying to throw me a curve ball when he asked me to veganize pork carnitas, but this one is actually very easy and delicious and can be used in so many ways!

For those of you who may not be familiar with Carnitas it literally translated means "little meats" so maybe you could use this term to deflate the egos of some of the men in your lives without really ticking them off.  Or maybe not.  But the important thing to know about the orginal or "little meaty" carnitas is that it is all about the spice blend and the texture of the meat, so that is the most important thing to get right with this if you are going to trick the omnivores in your life.  Normally carnitas are slow braised and then broiled, but because the braising is just to break down the tough cut of meat we can make them super fast!

You need to first start with your favorite brand of fake chicken strips.  I think that morningstar has the best texture for this preparation.  So depending on how many people you want to feed start with one (2 big servings) bag or 2 bags. 


 First word to the wise.  Do not follow the directions on the bag. Listen to me instead! First defrost the strips in your microwave for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes on 35% power.  When they come out they should be still slightly frozen in the center and warm on the outside.

In order to get the flavor you need to first make a spice rub/ mix to coat the strips.  This spice rub should be equal parts (you might want to make plenty of this rub and keep it around because it is good as  seasoning on lots of things, so I am not going to tell you amounts, just make sure they are equal and you need at least a teaspoon of each.

• garlic powder
• cumin
• oregeno
• basil
• smoked sweet paprika
• seasoned salt
• black pepper
• onion powder
• brown sugar

The best way to mix these is to put all the spices in a large zip lock bag and shake them until they are combined.  Now you have a really great BBQ dry rub (the oregano and basil really makes it carnitas, I don't know is that is technical but seems to change the taste).

Now take your thawed chicken strips and cut them into 1 inch pieces and place them in a soup pot with 1/2 of your seasoning mix and 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes that have been blended.  Bring this mixture to a boil and add salt and pepper to taste then reduce to a low simmer.  If you like things spicy this is a great time to add the chipotle powder!  Because we don't really have to cook our "little meat"  we are just trying to infuse the flavor into the strips.  While you are cooking these pre heat your over to 325 degrees and get out a large baking sheet or dish.  If you are worried that it will stick line the dish with foil.

After the majority of sauce has cooked off and been absorbed into the strips turn off the heat. Then the strips cool for about 10 minutes and they will absorb more of the liquid.  At this point the strips are looking a bit soggy, but don't worry it will get better!  After they have cooled slightly, add them into the bag with the other 1/2 of the spice rub. Make sure the remainder of the rub has coated the outside of each piece and dump onto your baking sheet.

Make sure that they are in only one layer or you won't get the texture you are looking for.  Place them in the 325 degree oven for 25 minutes, turning them once half way through.  This will remove most of the moisture. But make sure they don't start to burn.  If they start to burn keep turning them. After most of the moisture is removed increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees and cook for another 10 minutes turning half way through again.  Now the outside should start to get slightly charred, that is what we want!  They should start looking a bit crispy!  If you would like them less crispy just cook less time, but it is important that you do both heat levels.

Now they should be ready to enjoy.  They can be served plain with rice and beans, in a taco, or my favorite as an enchilada.  In order to make them into carnita enchiladas just wrap in corn tortillas or the tortilla of your choice and ladle over one can of either green or red enchilada sauce. Top with daiya cheese about 1/2 cup. ( Diaya cheese, is vegan, gluten free, and soy free and melts great!)

 After they are cheesed and sauced place back in a 375 degree oven until the cheese has started to melt.  Enjoy!  Ok Adam there you go, vegan pork carnitas!