Pork Carnitas and Margaritas...

Recently while going through my cookbooks I stumbled upon a rather unique recipe. The unusual ingredients piqued my interest and to my surprise I had them all tucked away in my pantry. Carnitas, a dish native to Mexico, typically comprises of pork or beef that is braised in fat until it falls apart. This particular recipe pushes it a step further by using Coca-Cola as a tenderizer. A much cherished drink in Mexico, Coke has the properties to break down any fiber and render the meat to a point that it melts in the mouth. Scott Linquist the chef/author of this recipe uses condensed milk to sweeten and cinnamon to flavor this quick and easy one-pot meal. A fresh salsa and tortillas are all you need to round off this no-fuss recipe.

Take a pound of pork butt and cut it into cubes.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in pot ( Recipe calls for lard- but I try to stay away from the L word)

Add in the pork, 1 cinnamon stick, 1/4 can of condensed milk, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves, 4 peppercorns and 1/2 cup of coke.

Transfer the pot to a hot oven -300°F and cook for a couple of hours until the meat is caramelized and breaks apart easily. Shred the meat with a fork, fill into the tortillas and top off with salsa and sour cream.I can't deny that I love the flavors of Mexico - the heat and the smoky spicy flavors spin their magic every time. I always look forward to Tex Mex so that I can resume my long standing romance with Margaritas . Most of my American counterparts have a horror story dating back to their teen years when they knocked back one too many Jose Cuervo's; I on the other hand enjoy them more and more every day. Having said this I admit that I cannot abide by bottled Margarita mixes, especially since it really is so easy to put together.

My recipe for Margarita: (Makes 1 small pitcher)

2 cups ice

juice of 2 limes

1/4 cup simple syrup

2 oz Cointreau

1/2 cup Tequila

lime wedges

coarse salt

Mix all the ingredients together in a pitcher, taste and adjust the sweetness/ tartness to suit your own tastes. Rim each glass by rubbing a piece of lime along the edge of each glass and

dipping it into a saucer full of coarse salt. Once the glasses are ready- pour in the Margarita's and stick a lime wedge on to each glass. Cheers!!