Chipotle: At Home

After the success of homemade Chinese night, I thought, “What else can we make a home?” (Translation: how else can we save some money by not eating out?)

The votes were in, homemade Chipotle it is.

If the five of us eat out at Chipotle, after adding chips and guac, we are up to a good forty dollars for a meal. Make it a home and we can knock that cost down to under twenty-five dollars. I was able to scrounge our cabinets and found a few cans of black beans and rice, we already had some tomatoes on hand and there was a pork roast in the freezer. (Any meat will do, chicken you can grill and chop…pork or beef, best served slow cooked and shredded.) Even if you need to purchase each of the ingredients, they are still fairly inexpensive. In the summer, you can use homegrown vegetables and herbs!

The key to making at-home Chipotle? CILANTRO…LOTS OF CILANTRO.

Note: Cilantro and flat parsley look a lot alike. If you can’t tell the difference visually, try smelling the bunches.

Chipotle – At Home:

Pulled Pork:

• Pork roast (usually a shoulder or butt cut)
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste

Fajita Veggies:

• 1 large red pepper
• 1 white onion
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Cilantro-Lime Rice

• 2 cups of long grain white rice
• 4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 limes
• Salt to taste

Black Beans:

• 2 cans black beans

Fresh Tomato Salsa:

•  4 large vine ripe tomatoes
•  ½ red onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
• Salt to taste

Guacamole:

• 1 avocado
• ¼ red onion, finely diced
• ½ lime
• Salt to taste

Pork is best when it is cooked over low heat for at least six hours. The added bonus here is that your house will smell delicious all day! Place the roast (fat side up) in a Crock-Pot, add chicken stock and bay leaf. Place the lid on top and cook until the internal temperature is 165 degrees. The meat should fall apart easily and it should shred with minimal effort. Place in warm oven to keep to temperature.

Up next is to start on the rice. Bring the 4 cups of water to a boil, add rice and turn burner to simmer. Cover with a lid and let cook for about 13-15 minutes or until there is no excess liquid. Uncover, lightly fluff with a fork and let cool.

Finely chop the bunch of cilantro, enough for the rice and salsa.

Once the rice has cooled, add the cilantro and juice of two limes.

To get the last bit of lime juice out, stick the lime half in between a pair of tongs. Mix lightly until everything is combined, keep on low simmer to keep warm. Salt, if needed.

Thinly slice the pepper and onion, heat oil over medium heat and let them cook until softened (5-7 minutes).

The beans are the easiest part of the meal! Drain the beans and place in a small pot to warm over low-medium heat.

Time to make the fresh tomato salsa and guacamole (yum).

Slice the sides of the tomatoes off, trying not to get to much of the liquid or seeds in each slice. (Try to slice with the curve of the tomato.)  Dice into small cubes and throw into a large bowl.

The onion should then be diced into very, VERY, small pieces. Few enjoy biting into a large pice of raw onion and the onions blend with the tomotes and salsa better the smaller the pieces.

If you don’t have a mini food processor, I highly recommend purchasing one. Even for the sole purpose of chopping onions…your eyes will thank you! Not to mention, it’s much easier than lugging out the big one!

Chop 1/2 the onion into large chucks and process away! *Don’t over-process or else you will end up with an onion-y liquid.

Toss in almost all of the onion, cilantro, and about half a teaspoon of salt (more if needed.)

Mix, mix, mix!

Next to the beans, the guac is the easiest part. Take the avocado and slice in half length wise. Scoop out the pit and using a sharp knife, cut the avocado into squares inside of skin.

Scoop out the insides into a medium bowl and MUSH. Add remaining chopped onion and squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lime in. Sprinkle with salt, mix together and you’ve got guac!

Table the food, throw some sour cream on top of your bowl and bon appétit!