Homemade Chipotle burrito bowls....YES, please!

I have a total weakness for mexican food (ask my hubby)!  I could probably eat mexican food for lunch and dinner 5-7 days a week.  I will be completely honest by telling you that Chipotle is my favorite restaurant!!!  The bowl that I order there is 18 points for the entire bowl.  I will plan  my points in the day to save up for that meal!  I will save my extra weekly points for that meal.  I might even think about working out for that meal....yeah, major!  And my family all enjoys eating there too (bonus)!

I have shared with you before the recipe I found for Cilantro-Lime rice (a HUGE thank you to Skinnytaste - I LOVE her blog!).  I make it REGULARLY and it is a HUGE hit with the family!  So when I found the recipe for Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork) I was over the moon thrilled!!!!  I have been looking forward to making this meal for over a week since I made our weekly plan and went shopping!  And if this was a hit with the fam, it would make a MUCH cheaper alternative!!!

Anyone that knows me knows that I don't like to try new things.  Especially recipes.  I mean, really this was like messing with an institution in my house!  What if it was a fail.....but I put those fears and doubt out of my mind, and instead looked forward to a fantastic meal!!!  So I was just thrilled when this meal received a enthusiastic thumbs up from all the family members tonight. It really is nearly spot on to the chain I love so much!!


So here's how you can make them at home yourself.  

Pork Carnitas

Ingredients: 

·                     2.5 lb pork shoulder blade roast, lean, all fat removed (I used Smithfield)

·                     6 cloves garlic, cut into sliver

·                     cumin

·                     dry adobo seasoning (I used Goya)

·                     garlic powder

·                     3/4 cup 99% fat free chicken broth

·                     2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (to taste)

·                     2 bay leaves

Directions:
Season pork with salt and pepper. In a medium sauté pan on medium-high heat,brown pork on all sides for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Using a sharp knife, insert blade into pork, cutting small holes and insert garlic slivers. Season pork generously with cumin, adobo and garlic powder all over.

Pour chicken broth in the crockpot, add bay leaves and chipotle peppers. Place pork in crock pot and cover. Cook low for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred pork using two forks and combine well with the juices that accumalated at the bottom. Remove bay leaves and adjust salt and cumin (you will probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 minutes.

Browning the pork first is essential so don't skip this step. Pork shoulder is very inexpensive and you can make a few meals out of this. Be sure to buy the boneless pork shoulder blade roast, as it is leaner than the pork shoulder picnic. The prep for this is about 15 minutes the night before. Get it ready and refrigerate it so you simply take it out and plug it in when you get up. Serve this with tortillas, use in burritos, or simply have this with cilantro lime rice. You can make your own Chipotles burrito bowl with lettuce, sour cream, corn salsa, guacamole, or whatever else you usually put in yours!

Adobo Spice - I couldn't find this when shopping at the store.  So I put my smartphone to good use and googled it.  I could order it online, but anyone that knows me knows I am an instant gratification girl, so I wasn't thrilled about that option.  But then I found a make your own recipe....wohoo!  Saved!  So here is the one I used.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder

Directions

1. In a bowl, stir together the salt, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. Store in a sealed jar in a cool, dry place.

Cilantro-Lime Rice - use my previously posted recipe....it's a winner!

http://2012losingit.blogspot.com/2012/02/tonights-dinnercrockpot-cilantro-lime.html

Pico de Gillo
Fresh tomatoes, diced
Red onion, diced
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Lime juice to taste
Salt to taste

Add other toppings of your choice:
Beans - Black or Pinto
Fajita veggies - sauted white onion and green pepper
Sour Cream - I used fat free :-)
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Pico de gillo
Or anything else you want!

The finished product!

For those of you wanting WW points, that's difficult for me to say simply because it depends on what you put in your bowl and how much.  I estimate it to be close to a Chipotle bowl by the time that you add everything in...
Meat - 4pp for 1/2 cup (4oz)
Rice - 5pp for 3/4 cup