Hooray for Holiday Pork!

Planning a holiday dinner menu is never easy. There are so many things to consider from what to serve and how to serve it, to what unexpected dish is going pull the whole meal together. That’s why TLK asked some of the brightest names in the Latin food space to share their holiday pork recipes. What we received were five incredibly different recipes showcasing this traditional Latin protein.  

The holidays just wouldn't be the holiday without tamales, so a traditional Mexican Pork Tamale, a delicious but labor intensive dish, is first on our list. But if you're looking for a bite-sized, nothing gets people happy like meatballs. Serve up these Albondigas Camagüey, guava barbeque sauce glazed beef, pork, and pine nut balls served in a creamy mushroom stew. Just want to do something casual? We say, carnitas are a good standy: Cantina's Carnitas or Cha Cha's Carnitas, both rich and sweet, boast flavors of pork, cilantro, cola, pineapple, and oranges. 

If you're looking for some stunning entrees, try the Kurobota Pork Tenderloin. In this recipe, pork is slathered in mole and served with grilled cactus and huitlacoche, or aromatic corn truffle. Another Mexican staple is Chiles en Nogada, or stuffed poblanos in walnut sauce. Original served by nuns in the food-centric city of Puebla, spicy poblanos are stuffed with a sweet and savory mix of pork, apples, walnuts, almonds, goat cheese, and queso Cotija. Decadent and delicious, the colors also scream Christmas, making it a perfect holiday centerpiece to your table.

No matter which pork you choose, you're guaranteed a winner of a dish.

Pork Tamales

• 5 pounds boneless pork shoulder
• 1 onion
• 5 garlic cloves
• ½ gallon water
• ½ cup corn oil
• chopped pork masa (from a Latin market)
• 1 cup New Mexico chili powder
• corn husk (for wrap)
• 2 heaping tablespoons of flour
• 1 tablespoon salt

Get the full recipe.

Beef, Pork, and Pine Nut Meatballs (Albondigas Camagüey)

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 pounds ground pork
• 4 slices bacon, grinded
• 4 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced
• 2.75 ounces Romaine hearts, white part only, minced
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 4 ounces Cuban bread, crust removed and soaked in milk
• 4 ounces milk
• 6 teaspoons Kosher salt

Get the full recipe and ingredient list.

Kurobuta Pork Tenderloin

• 2 ounces Pasilla de Oaxaca chiles
• 1 Roma tomato
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1/8 white onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoon piloncilla sugar
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 Kurobuta pork tenderloin or high quality pork tenderloin

Get the full recipe and ingredient list.

Cantina's Carnitas

• 3 to 5 pound pork butt (pork shoulder)
• 1 quart vegetable oil
• 5 cloves peeled garlic
• ½ Spanish onion, chopped
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 6 ounces beer
• ½ cup orange juice
• ½ cup Coca Cola
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme

Get the full recipe and ingredient list.

Cha Cha's Carnitas

• 8 pounds boneless pork butt
• 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 5 cups cola
• 1 ½ cups pineapple juice
• juice from 2 oranges (about ½ cup)
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro stems only, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped
• 1 cup canola oil

Get the full recipe and ingredient list.

Chiles en Nogada (Stuffed Poblanos in Walnut Sauce)

• ½ cup chopped salt pork or bacon
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ pound each lean ground beef, pork and veal
• ¾ cup dried finely chopped apricots
• 4 cups finely chopped peaches
• 2 cups peeled and chopped
• Granny Smith apples
• ½ ripe plantain or banana, chopped
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 cup pitted prunes, finely chopped

Get the full recipe and ingredient list.