Pork Belly Taquitos
Pork Belly Taquitos with fresh California avocado
Recipe courtesy of the California Avocado Commission; developed by Chef Dave Woolley, CD Culinary Approach LLC, Denver, Colorado
Makes 2 servings
6 corn tortillas, warmed
2 pork belly, cooked (recipe follows)
2 Fresh California Avocado, thinly sliced*
2 oz. queso fresco, crumbled fine
1 oz. radish, super thin slices
12 cilantro sprigs, small
8 oz. Fresh California Avocado-Tomatillo Mojo Salsa (recipe follows)
Fresh California Avocado Crema (recipe follows)
The Pork Belly
Score the skin of the pork belly in a cross-hatch pattern, making sure to pierce the tough skin but not to cut deeply into the meat below. Scoring allows much of the fat to render out during the baking process. If the skin is not attached, simply score the top layer of fat.
While your oven is preheating to 350°F, liberally season the meat on all sides with the sea salt and black pepper, taking time to rub it into the slits on the skin. Simple seasoning is recommended, as other spices and seasonings can burn during the long roasting time in a hot oven. Extra seasonings can be sprinkled on the meat prior to serving.
Place the piece of pork belly on an elevated rack in an oven-safe baking dish to allow the fat to render more easily from the pork belly. Cover the pan with foil, and place into the preheated oven. Roast for 2 hours, then remove the cover and cook for an additional 2 hours. If skin is present, finish under a very hot broiler to make crispy cracklins’.
Allow the pork belly to cool at room tempo for 30 min, then place in the walk-in to cool completely. When ready to prep, clean off excess fat and cut 6 very thin slices, measuring the slices an inch longer that corn tortilla you are using to make taquitos. The meat slices should protrude slightly from both ends sides, so trim the belly accordingly and cut against grain.
If using belly with skin/cracklin’s, cut off the cracklins’ and mince, add as garnish to final presentation, if desired.
The Fresh California Avocado-Tomatillo Sour Mojo Salsa
Makes Approximately 3 cups
4 oz. jalapeno, cut off 4 'sides' of 3-4 ea. whole jalapenos, discarding seed sack and stem
2 lbs. tomatillos, peeled and washed
8 cloves garlic
8 oz. sweet onion, cut into 3 thick slices
Salt to taste
4 oz. fresh cilantro
6 Fresh California Avocados, diced*
6 oz. small lemon supremes, diced
6 oz. orange supremes, diced
In a very hot large skillet or griddle, start charring jalapenos, tomatillos, garlic and onions for about 15 minutes, moving the ingredients around often. While warm, puree the charred ingredients, then add salt and cilantro. When the puree is cool, add avocados, lemon and orange supremes with their juices to the tomatillo base, then readjust seasoning. Be sure to keep avocado, lemon and orange pieces good-sized, so they are visible in the sauce.
The Fresh California Avocado Crema
Makes approximately 1 cup
16 oz. sour cream
8 oz. Fresh California Avocado*, peeled and seeded
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
Salt to taste
Puree all ingredients in blender until smooth. Place in squirt bottle to use.
Assemble the Taquitos
Place 3 warm tortillas on cutting board. On each, add 4 thin slices of Fresh California Avocado; ensure the slices overlap and extend beyond the edge of the tortilla. Then add sliced cooked pork belly, 2 thin slices per tortilla, in the same manner, with the meat extending beyond the edge of the tortilla.
Roll each tortilla tightly, close and secure with a toothpick. If tortillas are dry or not warm enough they will break. Fry at 350°F for 1-2 minutes. After removing from of fryer, season the outside immediately with sea salt, so the salt adheres to the tortilla.
Cut three taquitos on diagonal in six pieces. Add 2 oz. Fresh California Avocados – Tomatillo Sour Mojo Salsa on bottom of small platter in a line, top with biased-cut taquitos, then finish with additional mojo salsa over the taquitos. Garnish with Fresh California Avocado Crema, radish slices, cilantro sprigs and queso fresco. Serve immediately.
*Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger avocados, adjust the quantity accordingly.