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Cuban Style Pork Taco Bowl

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Lean pork roast is marinated with Cuban style flavors and then slow cooked until deliciously tender. Cuban Style Pork Taco Bowl is served over black beans and rice with crisp onions, juicy tomatoes, and sharp cheddar.

Cuban Style Pork Taco Bowl

Mmmmmmm rice.

I love rice. Don’t you love rice? It’s so versatile, delicious, and a great way to stretch a meal. Don’t have enough soup for everyone? Add some rice! Don’t quite have enough meat for everyone? Add some rice! It works in meatloaves, meatballs, and can be tossed in almost any dish or soup.

Rice is also pretty darned in expensive, too. You can buy a huge bag for just a little money. It’s one of those pantry staples that I keep on hand all the time. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, appetizer; pretty much any meal of the day you can eat rice. Heck, you could eat it every meal of the day and probably still not get bored.

Cuban Style Pork Taco Bowl

Well, if you were my husband you probably would. But I, most assuredly, would not. I could eat rice every day and never get tired of it. But I’m sure I’ve chatted about that before. There’s plenty of rice recipes on my blog for you peruse and read all about how much I love rice.

However, this Cuban Style Pork Taco Bowl isn’t about how cheap rice is and how healthy it is on your budget. This post is about how healthy rice is in general especially when topped with lean proteins and hearty vegetables. Of course, we’re talking about more than just rice here. There’s other hearty grains like quinoa, couscous, barley, amaranth, millet, and loads of other grains you can use in place of rice.

At the start of the New Year, some people resolve to eat healthier. They resolve to exercise, go to the gym, stop drinking so much coffee, or just caffeine in general, and eat out less and eat in more. Of course, we do that last one all the time. We cook dinner 6 nights a week most weeks. Sometimes I fall off the wagon and forget to take protein out for dinner. This leaves us to make something up or order in. Then, of course, we order in on Fridays most weeks. It’s our night off from cooking.

Cuban Style Pork Taco Bowl

Every other night of the week, we have dinners like this Cuban Style Pork Taco Bowl.

The key, I think, to really good Cuban pork is to marinate the meat. I marinated our pork roast overnight before putting the whole thing in the slow cooker. I’m convinced it’s the deal breaker between good pork and amazing pork. It really does allow the flavors to completely penetrate the roast; ensuring Cuban flavored goodness in every last bite.

Once it’s marinated, you pop the whole thing in the slow cooker with some onions and let if cook, filling your house with an amazing aroma. It will be difficult to resist the urge to eat the whole roast while you’re shredding it. Trust me on this one. I fought the entire time!!  #StruggleisReal

Cuban Style Pork Taco Bowl

And that broth?

Holy wow! I couldn’t let it just sit there. I had to put it to good use. If you have the time, you can cook the rice in it. I didn’t. I set the rice cooker to do its thing while I was at work. But, I did drizzle some over the rice and beans when I combined them with the spices to set in the bottom of the bowl. You won’t want to miss this step. It’s a game changer for the rice.

Now. I have a confession to make. And I told the hubs this when I was sampling the pork. I cannot stand garlic cooked in the slow cooker. It changes in flavor. It becomes overpowering to me and I usually refuse to use it in the slow cooker. I know it’s an essential part of the delicious flavor in the Cuban marinade, so I decided to put in there. If that flavor was too much, I knew it would just be me that had issues.

Cuban Style Pork Taco Bowl

So, I’m standing there shredding the pork and eat half of it take a few bites. I said to S, “Ya know, this is the first time I’ve put garlic in the slow cooker and didn’t hate it.” “Really?” “Yes!” And I meant it. Maybe it’s the large amount of citrus? Maybe it’s because I marinated it overnight? I don’t know. But seriously, this is the first slow cooker recipe with garlic that I loved.

And look at it!!

Who wouldn’t love a bowl full of that goodness? The tender pork, the sharp cheddar, sweet tomatoes, tangy onions, and deliciously flavored rice and beans; who can resist? I know I can’t. I honestly can’t wait to shred the other half and use it for sandwiches, or maybe another bowl and even saved the left over rice.  The rice is something I could easily have for lunch. I wasn’t kidding when I said I loved rice. Sometimes, do eat just rice with a little butter, salt, and pepper for lunch. And that’s just fine with me!

Cuban Style Pork Taco Bowl

And then, there are times where I have lunches like this at work. I know. It’s tough being a food blogger. Heck, it’s tough just being a foodie! I have such a rough life, don’t I? *snort*

I really hope you make this pork. You don’t have to make the taco bowl, but at least make the pork. Serve it with some rice and beans, make a Cubano sandwich, make some tacos like the hubs did. Either way you serve it you, this pork is amazingly delicious. It’s the perfect way to travel from your kitchen.

What would you make with this flavorful pork?

Cuban Style Pork Taco Bowl
Yield: 4 servings

Cuban Style Pork Taco Bowl

Prep Time: 8 hours
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 16 hours

Lean pork roast is marinated with Cuban style flavors and then slow cooked until deliciously tender. Cuban Style Pork Taco Bowl is served over black beans and rice with crisp onions, juicy tomatoes, and sharp cheddar.

Ingredients

  • 2 pound lean pork roast
  • 1 1/2 cups orange juice
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cup thinly sliced onions
  • 4 cups cooked rice
  • 14 ounces black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 2 cups diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup diced onions
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Place the pork roast in a zip top plastic bag. Combine the next five ingredients (orange juice through garlic powder) in a small mixing bowl. Pour the mixture in the plastic bag with the pork and marinate over night.
  2. Place the onions in the liner of a slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Remove the roast from the bag and place on top of the onions. Pour the marinade over the roast and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or until the pork is fork tender and shreds easily.
  3. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and allow it to cool enough to handle. Using two forks, shred the meat and return the slow cooker.
  4. Place the rice in a mixing bowl. Top with the black beans and 1/2 cup of the pork juice, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
  5. Place 1 cup of rice mixture in the each of 4 bowls. Top with 4 ounces pork, 1/2 cup tomatoes, 1/4 cup onions and 1/4 cup cheese and serve

Did you make this recipe?

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13 Comments

  1. We don’t eat much pork but an occasional pork roast does sneak into the rotation! I love that you marinated it then slow cooked it. This is going one my must make list.

  2. Shoot, we had leftover Cuban pork from Cubanos a couple weeks ago and I would have loved making your rice bowls! I’ll remember these the next time I make it!

  3. What a CHAMPION idea. I love 'bowl' meals. And pork—–don't get me started—-my favorite meat. I never thought to do this.

    I normally don't talk about ME, but please make note of the slight name change from Wild Goose Tea. New web design—whoopee and I am adding some new features too.

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