LearnPiqueRecipesCinco de Mayo Recipes with Tropizen Pique

May 5, 2020

As Cinco de Mayo arrives this year, we wanted to share our favorite recipes for a stay-at-home experience. Here our favorites:

Tacos de Carnitas
Pico de Gallo
Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas


Tacos de Carnitas

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 pounds pork shoulder, either butt or picnic
  • 7 strips orange zest
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large onion, chopped, plus finely chopped onion for garnish
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 cinnamon stick, preferably Mexican canela
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 ½ teaspoons crushed dried oregano leaves
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 24 small corn tortillas, warmed, for serving
  • Chopped cilantro for garnish
  • Salsa for garnish
  • Tropizen Avocado Pique (1/2 tsp per serving or your preferred dosage)

PREPARATION
Trim any thick fat from surface of pork. Cut meat into 1-inch cubes, discarding any that are pure fat. Put pork in a large pot. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches, orange zest, garlic, chopped onion, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, bay leaves, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the cloves.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Skim off any scum that forms on surface. Simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours, until pork is very soft; add water if necessary to keep meat submerged. Season with salt, then continue to cook until water has evaporated, about 30 minutes. Cook a little longer to fry meat slightly; cook even longer if you prefer crisper meat. Stir often and add a bit of water if meat sticks or seems about to burn.
Remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Spoon a few tablespoons of carnitas onto each tortilla. Top each taco with cilantro, finely chopped onion, salsa and Avocado Pique to your taste.

Pico de Gallo

INGREDIENTS

  • ½ red onion, peeled and chopped into small dice
  • ½ bunch cilantro, leaves and stems, chopped roughly
  • 3 scallions, white and green parts, sliced thinly
  • 5 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped into small dice
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Tropizen Pique (1/2 tsp per serving or your preferred dosage)

PREPARATION
In a large, nonreactive bowl, add all the ingredients and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve with carne asada and grilled tortillas. Serve remainder with tortilla chips.

Pan Chicken Fajitas

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 lime, zested and juiced (about 2 teaspoons zest and 2 tablespoons juice)
  • 1 to 2 chipotle chiles in adobo, to taste, coarsely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin or crushed cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
  • 3 bell peppers, any color or a combination
  • 1 large red onion
  • 8 flour tortillas, plus more as needed
  • Tropizen Pique (1/2 tsp per serving or your preferred dosage)

PREPARATION
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together 4 tablespoons oil, the lime zest and juice, chipotle chiles, cumin and paprika with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken, toss to coat and set aside to marinate while you prepare the vegetables.
Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise, remove stem and seeds and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Peel and halve the onion and cut it into 1/4-inch slices. On a sheet pan, toss the bell peppers and onion with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Gently shaking off excess marinade as you go, transfer the chicken to a second sheet pan. Roast the chicken and vegetables until the chicken is cooked through and the peppers are soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
Once the chicken is out of the oven, move an oven rack close to the broiler. Turn on the broiler and transfer the sheet pan of vegetables to the rack. Broil until charred to your liking, 2 to 5 minutes.
While the vegetables are broiling, place the tortillas directly on a free oven rack until warm, about 1 minute, flipping once halfway through. Wrap the tortillas in a kitchen towel or foil to keep them warm.
Serve chicken and vegetables with tortillas, toppings and Tropizen Pique sauce.

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