It doesn’t have to be Taco Tuesday to leave me craving Mexican.
And with my go-to Pork Carnitas recipe, you can whip up this feisty and fertility-friendly dish any day of the week.
Let’s start with the basics: anyone trying to conceive is well aware of the foods that are beneficial for increasing fertility. As my patients often hear me say, you want to find a balance of ‘warm’ and ‘cold’ foods to balance your yin and yang.
For whatever reason, pork gets a bad rap and people tend to stay away from it. I’m happy to say- and it’s not just because I’m #obsessed with this dish- that pork is an amazing protein for fertility.
Did you hear that? YOU CAN EAT PORK CARNITAS!
Remember, it’s important to enjoy the foods you eat without overcomplicating the process. Eating delicious food doesn’t have to be difficult- or hurt your chances of conceiving if you do it right.
Ready to get started? Here’s my fertility- friendly recipe waiting for you to enjoy…
Start with all-natural, antibiotic-free pork <<—– Neutral in temperature and ready to help you nourish your Yin energy (similar to estrogen.)
Next, make my homemade spice rub- all organic, super tasty and free of the junky fillers in store bought packets: Oregano, paprika, Himalayan salt, garlic powder, chili powder, and ground cumin. OH, and organic Mexican seasoning <<—- That’s the bottle hiding in the back, OOPS… #HUMAN!
Generously rub the mix all over the pork shoulder before browning in avocado oil. I use avocado oil because it is a healthier alternative and has a high smoke point, making it safer to use- and won’t burn the house down ; )
When the pork is done browning on all sides, simply toss it into the Instant Pot (or slow cooker) with the chicken broth, adobo sauce and lime juice, set the timer on “manual” for 45 minutes… and get excited!
While you wait for the Instant Pot to do it it’s thing, slice up some onions and bell peppers to sauté in a pan. Peppers = warm food= lovely spleen energy. Did you know that your spleen is the digestion center of your body? If you’re spleen isn’t functioning correctly, your body will become malnourished- so make sure to eat foods (like peppers!) that nourish with warming energy.
Finally, I found the best Paleo recipe for tortillas from Stupid, Easy Paleo. They’re delicious, filling and a great substitute for regular corn or flour tortillas. WINNING! When your pork is done simmering in its delicious juices and the peppers and onions are soft and slightly caramelized, it’s time to assemble your carnitas!
Get creative, use your favorite condiments and transform this into a dish your family asks for any night of the week!
Recipe: Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
Takes Approximately: ~2.5 hours using instant pot (1 hour prep and for instant pot to pressurize, 45 min cooking time, and 20 minutes depressurizing) or 8 hours using slow cooker
Serves: 4-6
3lb Pork Shoulder
1 of each Red, Yellow and Green Bell Peppers
1 TBSP Adobo Sauce (I use Embasa)
1 Chopped adobo pepper
1-2 TBSP Avocado Oil
1 Cup Organic Chicken Broth
Homemade Spice Mix (Ingredients in blog)
Paleo Tortillas (Link to recipe)
2 Limes (Squeezed for juices)
Instruction:
- Cut pork shoulder into large chunks
- Salt and pepper generously
- Make the homemade spice mix and rub on pork shoulder chunks
- Put oil in a pan, and brown all sides of the pork
- Put the browned pork into the instant pot
- Use chicken broth to de-glaze the pan
- Add adobo sauce and one adobo pepper
- Add juice from two limes into the broth
- Pour into the instant pot and set the timer on “manual” for 45 minutes
- Sautee peppers and onions
- Shred the pork with a fork after the instant pot depressurizes (DO NOT OPEN LID WHILE IT’S STILL PRESSURIZED)
- Enjoy!!
