Chilifire Carnitas Mac 'n Cheese

 

INGREDIENTS

Carnitas:

• 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder
• 2 tablespoons Sweet Chilifire spice blend
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 grapefruit or 2 navel oranges, juiced
• 6 slices bacon, optional
• Salt and pepper
• Water

Mac and Cheese:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• Pinch of ground white pepper, optional
• Cayenne powder to taste
• 1 8-ounce block mild cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 8-ounce block sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 16 ounces elbows or shell-shaped pasta
• Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. For the carnitas : Seasoned the pork shoulder with Sweet Chilifire. Cook low and slow in my Dutch oven with an onion and juice from an orange for about 3-4 hours. 

2. Refrigerated it overnight and the next day remov the fat layer and then picked off any excess fat. Shred the meat and then simmer it rapidly until all the liquid evaporated. Broil the carnitas until crispy on top. 

3. For the Mac: Cook butter until golden brown. Add flour and then slowly whisk in milk and cream. Once thick, turn off the heat and add a mix of mild and sharp cheddar cheese and slightly under-cooked pasta. 

4. From serving:  Spoon the mac into a lil skillet and piled the carnitas on top and baked it to get some crispy cheese edges.

5. You can also your favorite carnitas/pulled pork recipe (using Sweet Chilifire) and combine it with your favorite mac and cheese recipe.