Pork Verde Tostadas

Pork Verde Tostadas ~ Slow cooked pork then quickly fried up carnitas-style, served on a crisp corn tortilla and topped with cabbage, radishes, crema, and salsa verde.It’s that magical time of year when the air is cold, the ground is white (at least in my neck of the woods), people are a bit nicer (and a whole lot crazier), the food is hearty, rich, laden with butter and sugar, and the children go from angels to devils in mere nanoseconds; yes my friends, it’s Christmas time.

One of the things I love most about the holidays are the traditions. I love hearing what other people do to celebrate. From the most basic things like frosting cookies together, to building the season’s first snowman, to various religious rite and festivals, and so on. I’d even argue that those who dislike the holidays even have their own traditions of getting Chinese food on Christmas day or a DVD marathon of their favorite TV show or movie series.

Passing on traditions to Elizabeth is important to me. We have several family traditions like buying new Christmas ornaments each year to symbolize our year. Elizabeth gets one for her year, I get one for my year, and then a third that represents what we did as a family this year. I love that our tree is decorated with memories and not just randomly purchased items (although there are a few of those on there too).

I’ve partnered with HERDEZ®, a maker of authentic Mexican foods to celebrate the Mexican tradition of Las Posadas. Las Posadas (the inns), is a 9-day Mexican Christmas tradition based on the biblical journey of Mary and Joseph and their search of a safe place, or “inn,” to stay before the birth of Jesus. From December 16-24 each year, friends, families and neighbors participate as “innkeepers” and host a Posada at a different home each night. The evening’s host family provides traditional Las Posadas food—an essential element to the festivities.

Now, I am of Mexican decent, my paternal grandfather was Mexican. But in all honesty, I am not culturally hispanic or anything other than generic American. My Spanish speaking skills are quite appalling. However, feel free to write to me in Spanish, I can handle that. I have equal Italian blood to my Mexican blood and the remaining half of me is a smattering of Western European ethnicities. I have participated in various activities that are culturally Mexican or Italian. I feel fortunate to have participated in several rich heritage traditions in one way or another.

Pork Verde Tostadas

Course: Dinner/Slow Cooker

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: carnitas, Tostadas, verde

Author: Michelle De La Cerda

Slow cooked pork then quickly fried up carnitas-style, served on a crisp corn tortilla and topped with cabbage, radishes, crema, and salsa verde.

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Ingredients

• Lighter Carnitas
• 1-16 oz jar HERDEZ® salsa verde
• Shredded cabbage
• Diced Radishes
• Crema Mexicana
• Corn Tortillas
• High heat oil (for frying)
• Fresh chopped cilantro

Optional Ingredients

• Queso Fresco
• Avocado
• Cheese
• Diced onions
• Beans (black, refried, pinto)
• Fresh limes wedges

Instructions

1. Make Lighter Carnitas.
2. Add 12 oz of HERDEZ® salsa verde to the pork and mix well.
3. In a frying pan, heat the oil, and drop one corn tortilla in until it starts to brown, flip, and brown, cooks in about 1-2 minutes. Continue until all shells have been fried. Let rest on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
4. Layer the the tostadas with the pork verde, cabbage, radishes then drizzle with crema and more HERDEZ® salsa verde.
5. If using, layer with any additional ingredients.
6. Serve and enjoy.

Thank you for sharing!