Stacked Tortilla Pie with Carnitas

[BBQKaeding]

Here is a recipe I adapted for the KK that was originally obtained from Sunset magazine (Oct. 1997). This is my first recipe post that I decided to do to get experience with this editor. I've had challenges managing pictures with prior posts but I hope to get that worked out today.

I prepared this dish on my 23 inch KK for Cinco de Mayo 2016. The attachment is a CPAP machine that I'm using as a billows to get the fire going quicker.

Preheat your KK to about 325 degrees. This supplies about the right amount of heat to obtain a simmer.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds pork shoulder or butt
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons cumin seed
• 1 cup chicken broth (or water)
• 2 can (19 oz. each) red chili or enchilada sauce
• 2 or 3 canned chipotle chilies
• 1 bag (1 pound) frozen corn
• 1 red bell pepper (3/4 pound), stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• salt - to taste
• 8 flout tortillas (10 inches diameter)
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1 cup (about 5 ounces) crumbled cotija or feta cheese
• 1 firm, ripe avocado (about 6 oz.)
• cilantro sprigs (for presentation)

Trim and discard excess fat from pork. Cut pork into 1/2 inch cubes. Alternative: It's much easier to cook the pork whole and then trim the fat. Target 165 degrees (F) internal temperature because we're not aiming for pulled pork yet, it will become fork tender when it simmers.

In a large dutch oven, combine pork, onion, garlic, cumin seed and 1/2 cup broth to boil for 10 minutes. Then boil, uncovered, stirring often as liquid evaporates and a brown film form on the dutch oven bottom, 5-12 minutes. Add another 1/2 cup broth and repeat. Add 1 can red chili sauce and stir browned bits free and then reduce heat to simmering.

Finely chop the chipotle chilies. Add the corn and red pepper and stir the chilies to taste.

Move to the preheated KK at 300-325 degrees (F), uncovered. I placed the dutch oven on a kiln shelf placed on the lower rack after adding mesquite wood chunks. The wire rack between the kiln shelf (heat deflector) creates an air gap provide more even heating around the dutch oven, and to prevent the mixture from burning to the bottom in the event the heat deflector gets too hot. Let the mixture simmer for about 75 minutes, then stir and add chopped cilantro.

 

Grill the tortillas on the lower rack of the KK and set to the side when done.

Assembly:

Remove the mixture from the KK. Pour the remaining chili (enchilada) sauce into a rimmed pan at least 10 inches in diameter. Dip 1 tortilla in in the sauce and place in a round dish, 12-14 inch diameter, that suitable for the KK. Cover tortilla with about 1/7 of the pork sauce, Mexican cheese blend and cotija (or feta) cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, ending with a tortilla on top.

Place the pie on the KK at 350 degrees (F) until the internal temperature reaches at least 140 degrees (F) - about 25 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining Mexican cheese blend on the top and cook until melted - about 5 minutes. Remove from the KK.

Peel, pit and slice the avocado. Also heat the remaining chili (enchilada) sauce and drizzle about 1/4 cup over the pie and garnish with the avocado slices and cilantro sprigs.

Cut into wedges and serve.

Notes:

• Any oven-safe item is safe in the KK when using a heat deflector, but I like to wrap mine in foil to make cleanup easy and and my wife happy. 
• I found that I didn't need as many flavor wood chunks as I used due to the long cooking time. Of course it tasted great when done, after a long day breathing the smoke, but the smokiness was much more evident the day after (we had a guest cancel so there was a slice left). Next time I'll only add flavor wood for the final bake of the pie and rely on the great natural charcoal flavor for simmering the mixture.
• The consistency of the mixture should be like a thick chili when ready for assembly. Vary the liquid additions and simmer times to achieve this. You may need more broth or water because we're simmering with the lid off, but we don't loose much moisture in the KK anyhow and we're after flavor.
• When assembling the pie, try to keep it level for each layer and bias the amounts added toward the perimeter of the tortillas. This will help prevent sagging at the edges and loss of filling.

Well, that wasn't so bad! I figured out how to place the pictures but also, more importantly, I found out how to delete them. The "Remove this attachment" icon in the uploaded pictures (Uploaded Images pane) wasn't visible in the photo in previous posts, so I didn't know how to delete them. I see that option shows up as hover-text.

Hope you enjoyed the post!

Edited June 11, 2016 by BBQKaeding
Insert pics

[CeramicChef]

@BBQKaeding - now that's a post!  Great pics, nice recipe, I'd say you've got this deal on a downhill pull!  If that cooks tasted half as good as it looked, that was a little bit of heaven on a plate!  Kudos!

[MacKenzie]

I certainly did enjoy your post. Sure looks like a fun and very tasty cook.

[dstr8]

Great post and nice looking cook!    Love stacked enchiladas!   Funny, outside of New Mexico most don't get the "stacked or rolled" question.    Little Mexico barrios included

Edited June 11, 2016 by dstr8

[ckreef]

Great post very detailed. I especially like the ending remarks.

Reef's Bistro

[CeramicChef]

16 hours ago, dstr8 said:

Great post and nice looking cook!    Love stacked enchiladas!   Funny, outside of New Mexico most don't get the "stacked or rolled" question.    Little Mexico barrios included

@dstr8 - I am squarely in the stacked enchi camp with you.  I was raised for a while in New Mexico, Four Corners Area, and can remember going back to visit .  It was the first time I ever saw stacked.  I was hooked.  The only place I ever saw stacked again was years later in Colorado Springs at a great Mexican Restaurant  next door to my office.  They had an amazing menu.  Even better, the wife of the owner kind of adopted me and she' cook up some food for me.  What a cook!  I will take mine stacked any day!

[Aussie Ora]

That looks teriffic nicely done

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