Sign Up for the Recipe Publishing Newsletter
Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder and Pinto Bean Chalupas
Despite what many Americans have been led to believe due to the efforts of a fast food chain which shall remain nameless here, chalupas are not merely a deep-fried taco. They are actually much more closely related to tostadas, which they very closely resemble as well as sopes and huaraches, all of which are essentially a flat corn tortilla of various thicknesses with small variations in shape topped with a variety of different ingredients.
The name chalupa actually comes from the Mexican Spanish term for a type of boat and while most of the chalupas you are likely to come across in Mexican eateries are not boat shaped, elongated chalupas are out there. However, for the purposes of this pork chalupas recipe, think of a chalupa as a tostada, essentially.
Usually the tortilla used as the base for chalupas is thicker than the average tostada, though unless you plan to make your own (relatively easy, but definitely time consuming), tostada shells will be fine as a stand in.
Simple and Easy Pork Chalupas
Ingredients -
1 pork shoulder roast, 3-4 lbs
2 cans refried pinto beans
3 (4 ounce) cans diced green chili peppers
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons dried oregano
Tostada shells (as many as needed)
Diced white onion, chopped cilantro, salsa and lime wedges, for serving
Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the salt, oregano, and cumin and rub the mixture into the roast, then cover with aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet.
Cook the roast for 3-4 hours, or until the meat is falling apart.
Remove the pork roast from the oven and shred the meat with a fork.
Reheat the refried beans and top each tostada with beans, shredded pork, diced onion, and cilantro and serve with salsa and lime wedges.
Photo Description:
The beauty of this recipe is that while it does take several hours from start to finish, it actually involves only a minimal amount of work in the kitchen. Most of the time involved is just waiting around for the roast to be done, which gives you ample time to prepare the toppings for your chalupas, relax, or entertain dinner guests before the big event.
Simple though this pork chalupas recipe may be, it is definitely nothing less than impressive. This recipe makes a great weekend lunch or dinner or if you had like to cook the pork roast in a large crockpot during the day, even a weekend dinner which takes almost no time to prepare once you are home after a long day of work.
