Roasted Garlic and Herb Carnitas Tacos #RealFlavorRealFast

Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield® Marinated Fresh Pork. The opinions and text are all mine.#RealFlavorRealFast

Things never seem to slow down around here. Now that school is in full swing we’ve got to balance the endless piles of homework and projects that seem to come out of the blue! I’ve learned over the years to keep a secret stash of shoe boxes and scraps of paper and hide my own box of glue sticks for that last minute project one of the kids suddenly “remembered “ they had to do. We’ve all heard the excuses once or twice I’m sure, and while no one likes it I’ve learned to combat it with having supplies on hand for when it does happen. Still no excuse for the forgetfulness, but it helps to be prepared, and the kids will learn to be more aware and responsible over time to keep tabs on their assignments.

While I think of myself as being prepared for nearly everything, this week was anything but that. Our beloved dog of twelve years suddenly passed away this weekend, and it’s been rough on the kids and I. She had been getting old the last few months but still acted like that same puppy self she always was, jumping, running, begging for her treats. I woke to her being more than under the weather, and I spent the next 12 hours by her side to keep her comfortable before she passed. It hit hard and we all pretty much lost ourselves for a bit. We will miss her greatly and it’ll be a while until we heal from this.  It’s taken us all back a few days and that also meant things around the house got piled up including some unfinished homework projects. While we are trying to deal with the loss of one of our own, things need to keep going on around us. School work, house work, dinner, even if we aren’t up for it all. Of course, our beloved fur-baby would have just loved to grab some scraps from this dinner. She always was one for sniffing out the good stuff!! 

I am usually one to always have dinner planned, but I had not done my normal menu or meal plan this weekend and really wasn’t up to it either. But I headed to Safeway in search of inspiration for our family dinner. It took a bit of walking around before I found something that would work. One of my favorite go to brands was going to save the day, and that brand is Smithfield.

With a variety of choices in the meat section, I narrowed it down to a Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork Loin. We have one at least once a month as it’s pre-marinated, taking the guess of spices and seasoning out of the equation, so it really comes in handy at times like this. I picked the Smithfield Marinated Fresh Roasted Garlic & Herb Pork Loin Filet, the filet can be cooked fast and used in so many ways, and it is actually fun to come up with new recipes with them. After selecting some much needed vegetables and some tortillas I set out to make some Roasted Garlic and Herb Carnitas Tacos!

This recipe is super easy and you can have a delicious dinner ready in under 30 minutes! With a quick sear on each side in a frying pan and some time in the oven, you can have dinner on the table with little work and a lot of flavor. Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork always gives us real flavor, real fast! While the filet is cooking you can prep all the toppings and fillings you want.

Searing it will make sure all the juices stay in the meat! 

Roasted Garlic and Herb Carnitas Tacos
1 Smithfield Marinated Fresh Roasted Garlic and Herb Pork Loin Filet
2 tablespoons olive oil
Desired toppings

• diced tomatoes
• mushrooms
• diced garlic
• guacamole
• Pico de gallo or salsa
• cheese
• cabbage, or lettuce, spinach
• tortillasPreheat oven to 400F

In a large skillet, heat olive oil in pan. Brown the sides of the pork loin * about 2 minutes per side* After browning lightly sprinkle another tablespoon of olive oil in a baking pan and place the pork loin in. Cover and bake for about 25 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 150. Take the pork out and let sit before cutting into small strips.  Assemble your tacos with toppings and enjoy! 

 

*Slow cooker option. Cook the pork for 4-5 hours in the slow cooker on medium, then continue with the recipe for assembling. This option will have the pork more “pulled” then when you cook in the oven. My thoughts have been elsewhere this weekend so I would have done this, but know it works wonderfully.

Enjoy!

We did a lot of topping options, rice, red beans, salsa, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, cabbage. We tend to not skimp on toppings in this house! They were really great, the kids loved them! It’s always great to get dinner to the table quickly and have it full of flavor with little effort, perfect for last minute meals, but would work on any day or even lunch! The selections of Smithfield Marinated Fresh Pork are a great addition to your busy day. Whether it’s school, or last minute long work days you can have a tasty meal on the table in 30 minutes or less! 

Did you know that Smithfield is doing a challenge to see what you can do with Marinated Fresh Pork? It’s called,  “What Can You Do with 30?” and challenges you to come up with a 30 minute or less recipe. You can submit your original recipe for a chance to win some great prizes! You can find out more right here, www.SmithfieldRealFlavorRealFast.com