Recipe: One Pork Roast, Three Meals (Caribbean Pork Shoulder, Baked Ziti, Carnitas Tacos)

ONE PORK ROAST, THREE MEALS

MEAL ONE: CARIBBEAN PORK SHOULDER
Makes 10 servings

6 pounds (boneless) pork shoulder roast
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 sweet onions, sliced
1 (14 ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (11 1/2 ounce) can mango nectar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 teaspoons Jamaican jerk seasoning
2 red, orange and/or green bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1 (12 ounce) bag frozen mango chunks, thawed
Fresh mango slices (optional, for garnish)
Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional, for garnish)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Cut meat into 3-4 pieces. Season meat with salt, cinnamon and pepper. Dredge in flour.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add meat and brown on all sides, working in batches if necessary. Place meat in a roasting pan and set aside.

Add onions to the skillet; cook for 3 minutes. Add broth, nectar, brown sugar and jerk seasoning; bring to a boil. Carefully pour broth mixture over meat.

Roast for 2 hours. Remove from oven and add peppers and mangoes. Re-cover pan and roast for 1 hour more.

Remove meat, mangoes and vegetables from pan. Let meat stand for about 5 minutes before slicing. Strain pan juices and set aside. Slice meat against the grain. Serve hot with mangoes, vegetables and strained pan juices. Garnish with mango slices and cilantro sprigs.

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MEAL TWO: BAKED ZITI WITH SPICY PORK
Makes 8 servings

16 ounces ziti, uncooked
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (3 ounce) package sliced pancetta
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
3 cups leftover pork roast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 (26 ounce) jar marinara sauce
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 ounce) can reduced-sodium beef broth
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta about 10 minutes or until just barely tender. Drain pasta; return to empty pot and set aside.

In a large, straight-sided skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; fry until crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain.

Add sausage to skillet; cook until browned, using a wooden spoon to break up into small pieces.

Add pork, marinara sauce, tomato sauce and beef broth, stir until combined. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir into cooked ziti in pot. Transfer pork mixture to prepared baking dish; sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Serve hot.

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MEAL THREE: CARNITAS TACOS
Makes 6 servings

2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans
1 (10 ounce) can Mexican-style diced tomatoes, drained
1 teaspoon Mexican seasoning
3 cups shredded leftover pork roast
3/4 cup jus from pork roast (or chicken broth or water)
1 (1.25 ounce) package reduced-sodium taco seasoning
FOR SERVING:
12 small (6 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
Shredded lettuce, chopped bell pepper, cilantro sprigs, chopped onion (optional)

Combine pinto beans, tomatoes and Mexican seasoning in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat 7-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine pork, jus and taco seasoning in a large skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 5 minutes.

Make tacos by topping each tortilla with a spoonful of beans and some pork. Serve with optional garnishes.

Source: Semi-Homemade Money Saving Meals by Sandra Lee