Green Chili Shredded Pork

Scattered around me are two different planners, three different colored pens, a highlighter, a tall glass of water and a pile of clean laundry (off to the side, but just enough in my peripheral that I can’t NOT see it).

It must be January.

Every year I think this is the year I conquer the winter blues. I start the month with verve and grandiose plans. I list out my resolutions. I purge and organize, I drink lots of water, I recommit to all manner of healthy lifestyle choices that might have slipped a bit during the holidays. I do all the things and while noble and good and certainly all worth pursuing no matter the month, the honest truth is that January is a drag. It just is.

But that’s ok, we’ll make it through. We’ll drink our water and get a little extra sleep and attempt our resolutions and hopefully be a little gentle with ourselves.

I saw a hilarious cartoon meme that said something to the effect of January being the absolute worst month of the year to start anything new. January was for making cinnamon rolls and drinking lattes, good movies and books and lots of cozy time on the couch. Fitness and organizational goals were better suited for months like April or September. I chuckled out loud when I read it. I have to say its not the worst idea I’ve ever heard.

But back to my planners and highlighters. Meal planning has always been a hit and miss for me. Some weeks or months go well and then for what feels like no apparent reason at all, the wheels fall off the routine and I’m back to my old ways of running through the grocery store every other day and making the same rotation of meals over and over until my children stage a dinnertime revolt.

So I’m thumbing through cookbooks and actually writing down a grocery list that coordinates with a dinner plan and committing to adding a few new recipes into the rotation each week. This simple green chili shredded pork was so simple and satisfying. I used my instant pot to cook the meat, but you could easily use a slow cooker or just throw everything in a dutch oven and cook the meat in your oven. Regardless, it's going to have a great outcome. The meat shreds beautifully and stays tender and flavorful. I made a double batch of this recipe for tacos the first night and to meal prep burrito bowls for lunches later in the week.

Green Chili Shredded Pork

• 2 pork tenderloins (about 2.5 pounds)

• 1 large yellow onion

• 2 bell peppers (red, orange, or yellow)

• 1 4-ounce can mild green chilis

• 1 10-ounce can mild green enchilada sauce

• 3 cloves garlic minced

• 1 tablespoon cumin

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper

• Juice of 1 lime

• 1 Jalapeño, seeded and sliced into rings (optional)

• 1 bunch cilantro, stems removed, rough chopped for garnish

Spray the bowl of your instant pot generously with cooking spray. Peel and chop the yellow onion. Dice the bell peppers and mince the garlic. Add the vegetables to the instant pot along with the green chilis and enchilada sauce. Cut the pork into 3-inch chunks and add to the instant pot. Sprinkle the mixture with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and smoked paprika. Juice the lime over the ingredients before placing the lid on the instant pot and cooking on high for 50 minutes. Allow the steam to release naturally (at least 15 minutes), before removing the lid. Use two forks to shred the pork in its juices.

To serve, preheat the oven to broil and line a baking sheet with tin foil. Transfer the shredded meat to the baking sheet. Scatter the sliced and seeded jalapeño over the top of the shredded meat and place in the oven to broil for about 5 to 8 minutes, checking often and stirring the meat, at least once halfway through. When the edges begin to crisp, the meat is ready. Serve alongside fresh cilantro, tortillas of choice, salsa, sliced avocado and shredded lettuce.

*To prepare this recipe in a crockpot, follow the same instructions but cook in the crockpot on high for 4 hours. To cook in an oven, use 2 tablespoons olive oil instead of cooking spray. Use a heavy bottomed pot with a lid such as a dutch oven. Follow the original instructions but cook in the pot in a 275 degree oven for about 3 hours. The pork should shred easily with two forks. If it doesn’t fall apart, then keep cooking it, checking every 20 minutes until it does.