Donna's Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas with Tomatillo Salsa in Baked Sweet Dumpling Squash Bowls

Happy Wednesday, or Hump Day, as it is also affectionately known!  Just to spice things up today, I started the day early to make a quick and easy meal in the slow cooker and decided to combine the pork roast, tomatillos, onion and salsa that I had available into spicy pork carnitas that I stuffed into Sweet Dumpling squash halves for a Paleo twist.  The combination of spicy meat and slightly sweet squash turned out to be a winning recipe!  I hope you agree.  Best, Donna:

Pork Before Slow Cooked

Pork After Slow Cooked

Donna's Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas with Tomatillo Salsa in Baked Sweet Dumpling Squash Bowls

Ingredients:

One 2-1/2 pound sirloin end pork roast

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tomatillos, outer husk removed and chopped

½ medium sweet onion, chopped

1 cup medium salsa, preferably fresh style

2 Sweet Dumpling squash, cut in half and seeds removed

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons butter

Method:

Place roast in slow cooker that has been sprayed with cooking oil.  Season roast on all sides with salt and pepper to taste.  Mix tomatillos, onion and salsa in a medium sized bowl and pour over top of roast.  Cook on High for 4 hours and then turn to Low and cook for another 4 hours.  Break up meat with fork to shred and mix with salsa.

For squash, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Season squash halves and place cut-side down on cookie sheet sprayed with cooking oil.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and turn squash halves.  Add 1-1/2 teaspoons butter to each of the 4 squash halves and bake for another 20 minutes, until cooked through and golden.  (Alternatively, you may also microwave the squash halves on High for 12-15 minutes in a covered glass dish containing ½ cup water).

Place shredded pork mixture into each squash half and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Copyright 2014.