Healthy Carnitas Stuffed Sweet Potato Hasselbacks
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8 potatoes
 
Ingredients
Carnitas
  • 4 lb pork shoulder, bone in
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • Water to cover (about 8 cups)
  • 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • Salt & pepper to taste
For the Potato
  • 8 sweet potatoes, individually sliced thin, almost to bottom, hasselback style
  • ½ cup olive oil for brushing
Toppings:
  • Cotija cheese, sliced into strips (only about ½ cup needed)
  • 1 cup plain greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
  1. First take your pork and cut into 1" cubes, leaving fat on.
  2. Next in a large pan add your pork and cover with water until almost covered.
  3. Turn heat onto medium high, and bring water to a boil. Gently stir in 1 tbsp salt, 1 tsp cumin & 1 tsp pepper.
  4. Bring heat to low, and let pork cook uncovered, until water has almost all evaporated. This will take 2-3 hours depending on how wide your pan is. Will take longer if using a pot/dutch oven/slow cooker.
  5. Once water has almost all evaporated, turn heat up to medium high and add chipotle chili powder, paprika, oregano & garlic powder. Fry meat in own fat until water is all gone and meat is brown and crisp on outside, and bits begin to shred.
  6. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
For the potatoes.
  1. Preheat oven to 425 and lightly oil a large rimmed baking sheet.
  2. Lay hasselback style potatoes onto baking sheet and brush potatoes with ½ of the oil.
  3. Place in oven for about 30 minutes. Remove and brush potatoes again with more oil (making sure that the oil drips into most of the slices as they will be opening the longer they are cooked.
  4. Place potatoes back into oven for another 25-30 minutes.
  5. Remove potatoes from oven, and if adding cheese, now is the time to do so. Add your thin slices of cheese into the potato slices (about 3-4 slices a potato) and place potatoes back in oven for another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove.
Assembly
  1. Take your cheesy hasselbacks and add pork pieces, drizzle with some greek yogurt and sprinkle fresh cilantro on top. Salt & Pepper to taste. Serve warm
Recipe by My Lavender Blues at https://mylavenderblues.com/healthy-carnitas-stuffed-sweet-potato-hasselbacks/