Dinner Ideas with Pork from Colorado Craft Butchers - Support Local Food

As a retail outlet in the food world, we are so lucky that we are able to remain open and serve you. We are also fortunate that we get to support small producers that are dealing with decreased restaurant business and instead bring their items into our shop.

Today we are featuring Colorado Craft Butchers. This local butcher was born out of the intention to offer nose-to-tail, sustainable butchering and meat sourcing. They work closely with small farms and ranches in Colorado and surrounding states, focusing on connecting farmers and consumers. Unfortunately, they have lost a lot of their business with restaurants being closed, but we can still support their efforts by carrying their cuts in our shop.

We currently carry diced Mangalitsa pork, ground Mangalitsa pork, and Wagyu Ground Chuck, which can be ordered online. Their steaks, pork chops and sausages are also available in the shop, please call to order these cuts so that we can set aside the perfect size for you.

Check out two recipe ideas below or grab a recipe kit for pork tacos. All the items for this recipe are together in one kit in our shop. Give us a call or place an order online for pickup or delivery and we will have it ready for you quickly so that you can avoid spending time outside of your home.

Be sure to use the code "SHOPLOCAL" at checkout for 5% off of your order and we will donate 10% to local charities supporting the food industry.

One of Colorado Craft Butchers favorite ways to enjoy their pork is in this green chili recipe:

Pork Green Chili
1 package diced pork or ground pork
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large jar roasted hatch chilis
2 tsp cumin
2 cups pork or chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 to 2 limes
salt, to taste

1. Season pork with cumin and salt. Sear the pork in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or stock pot, coated with a small amount of oil. Once meat is browned, remove from pan and place on paper towels. 
2. Add onion and a little more oil if there isn’t enough fat in there. Turn heat to low and caramelize onions gently, stirring frequently. You are looking for a deep brown caramelization on the onions. Once you’ve achieved this, add the garlic and cook for a minute or 2 while stirring.
3. Add chiles, cilantro, and stock. Blend until smooth with immersion blender or in small batches in a large blender. Add pork and simmer for an hour or so. Season with salt/cumin/lime juice.
4. Serve with sour cream, cheese, more cilantro, tortilla chips, and beer.

This is Jon's tried and true carne adovada recipe:

Carne Adovada

~3 lbs pork butt or country ribs (cut into 2 inch chunks)
1/4 cup flour
Red Chile powder, garlic powder, salt
2 tbsps red wine or cider vinegar
16oz jar Los Roast Red Chile Sauce
1 quart brown stock or chicken stock

1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. Combine Flour with dry spices in a shallow dish, meanwhile heat a Dutch oven over med-high heat
3. Dredge pork pieces in the flour mixture and add to the pan, cook in batches leaving space so the meat will brown
4. Brown on all sides and remove to a bowl when cooked
5. Deglaze the pan with vinegar and scrape the bottom with a wooden spatula, and the the red Chile sauce and the meat with juices
6. Add enough stock to nearly cover the mea (reserve excess) stir well and move to the preheated oven
7. Cook uncovered in at 250 for 2-3 hours, stirring about every hour and adding more stock if it gets too dry
8. The meat should be fall apart soft, browned on the top and the sauce should have thickened to almost a paste
9. Remove from the oven and let rest in the pot for 10-20 minutes while you warm tortillas and prepare the other items

We like to serve on Bolder Blue Corn Tortillas with grated manchego cheese, creme fraiche and fresh tomato salsa