In honor of Cinco de Mayo, we’re celebrating with a couple of festive CVap® recipes – our own twists on pork butt enchiladas and tamales!
Cinco de Mayo—or the fifth of May—commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo has become a big celebration of Mexican culture and heritage in the United States, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations. Cinco de Mayo traditions include parades, mariachi music performances, and street festivals. Source: history.com.
BBQ Pork Enchiladas
CVap Cook & Hold Oven – Cook Vapor Temp 180°F/Cook Air Temp 255°F.
Cook time 7:00 hours; hold for at least five hours at Hold Vapor Temp 150°F/Hold Air Temp 150°F.
Ingredients
- Pork Butt 7 – 14 lb whole
- Tex-Mex dry rub of your choice (I used my own secret blend)
- BBQ Sauce
- Flour Tortillas
- Manchego Cheese, Shredded
- Green Chiles, Chopped
Directions
- Apply a layer of dry rub to pork butts as desired.
- Preheat oven to Cook Vapor Temp 180°F/Cook Air Temp 255°F.
- Cook with fat cap up for seven hours.
- Hold for a minimum of six hours at Hold Vapor Temp 150°F/Hold Air Temp 150°F (we held for 14 hours).
- Allow to cool and shred. Mix enough of your favorite BBQ sauce with the pork to moisten.
- Steam the tortillas briefly in CVap to soften them.
- Mix the shredded cheese and chilies together. Spoon some of the pork and the cheese/chili mixture onto each tortilla.
- Roll the tortillas, place in pan, and top with additional BBQ sauce and more of the cheese/chili mixture.
- Bake in the oven at 200° Vapor Temp/240°F Air Temp for 90 minutes.
Serve immediately and enjoy with your favorite Mexican beverage!
Tamales, CVap Style
Ingredients
- Pork Butt, 7 to 14 lb Whole
- Tex-Mex Dry Rub of Your Choice (again, my secret blend)
- Red Pepper Sauce (or sauce of your choice)
- Masa (cooked per label instructions)
- Corn Husks
Directions
- Apply a layer of dry rub to pork butts as desired.
- Preheat oven to Cook Vapor Temp 180°F/Cook Air Temp 255°F.
- Cook with fat cap up for seven hours.
- Minimum hold time six hours (we held for 14 hours).
- Allow to cool and shred.
CVap Cook & Hold Oven – Cook Vapor Temp 200°F/Cook Air Temp 240°F.
Cook time: 90 minutes – can hold at Vapor Temp 150°F/Air Temp 150°F for at least an hour.
- Prepare masa and set aside.
- Soak corn husks in warm water, set aside.
- Mix enough tamale sauce into the pork to moisten. Add additional seasoning (cumin, red pepper, etc.) as desired.
- Lay out a corn husk, apply a generous spoonful of masa and a spoonful of pork. Fold the corn husk to envelope the mixture.
- Place in pan. Tamales may be stacked.
- Pour tamale sauce over the top and bake.
Serve with additional tamale sauce.
Add some chips, salsa, guacamole, and margaritas with fresh lime, and you’ve got the makings of a real Cinco de Mayo Celebration!
