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Smothered Sweet Pork Burritos

Yield: 8 Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

For Burritos:

  • 2 ½ pounds pork roast like pork shoulder or butt roast
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1-2 teaspoons liquid smoke
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 2 cans (15-ounces each) green enchilada sauce
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • Dash of hot sauce, optional
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • 8 ounces Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, or a combination, grated
  • 6-8 whole wheat or white flour tortillas, burrito-sized

For Cilantro Lime Rice:

  • ½ tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Juice and zest of 1 lime
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin

Instructions 

  • Trim any excess fat pockets from the pork roast (it's ok to leave a bit here and there just trim the large pieces off). Cut the pork into 2-3 large pieces. Season each piece on all sides with salt and pepper.
  • In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until rippling and hot. Add all the pieces of pork and brown on each side, 2-3 minutes total. Transfer the pork to the insert of a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
  • Add the liquid smoke and 1/2 cup water. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8 hours.
  • While the pork is cooking, prepare the rice. In a skillet or medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the rice. Stir, letting the rice and butter cook for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients (broth, salt, pepper, lime juice and zest, cilantro and cumin) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 15-16 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. This can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to assemble the burritos.
  • Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred into bite-sized pieces (discarding the bone, if needed, or any large pieces of fat). In a large bowl, toss the shredded pork with the brown sugar, 1/2 cup of the green sauce, chili powder, salt and pepper (add more salt and pepper to taste if needed). Add the hot sauce, if using.
  • Stir in the beans, rice and cilantro to the pork mixture.
  • Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and spread about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of the green sauce on the bottom.
  • Warm the tortillas lightly in a skillet or in the microwave. Scoop about 1/2 cup of the meat mixture into each tortilla and sprinkle with a bit of cheese (you'll want to leave some cheese for the top of all the burritos before they bake). Roll up burrito style (folding the ends in and rolling).
  • Place the burritos seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the burritos and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until heated through and the top is bubbly and slightly golden. Serve immediately.

Notes

Pork: you'll get more flavor if you use a pork roast that has a bone in - it can easily be removed once the pork is done cooking; however, this could also be made with boneless pork loin or a leaner cut of pork. Just keep in mind that it might not be quite as tender as a roast that has darker meat also.
Enchilada Sauce: a note about the enchilada sauce, not all brands are created equal. I love the Herdez brand of green salsa or enchilada sauce (which I use interchangeably) so make sure you find a brand that tastes good (with a heat level you prefer).