Have you heard of The Homesick Texan?? Well, pretty much you need to know her, and her food, and her gorgeous photography both on her website and her new cookbook! Lisa Fain, aka the Homesick Texan, is probably one of the first bloggers I ever started to follow when I jumped into the blogging world. Her recipes are truly fantastic and they are all right up my alley with the flavors and spice and southwestern flair. I’m pretty sure I was meant to live in Texas, at least for some period of my life, because I am all about the Texas style of cooking. So it’s safe to say that when I unwrapped this cookbook, I was pretty much jumping for joy. I read it front to back, twice. And then immediately went to the market to pick up ingredients for a few recipes. They. Are. All. Amazing. Literally, each recipe looks like it belongs in my belly. I’m seriously going to cook my way through this book in the next few weeks.
The Homesick Texan is full of drool worthy recipes from, Cheese Enchiladas, Gorditas with Picadillo, Austin Style Black Beans, Biscuits and Gravy, Chicken Fried Steak and of course Guacamole! And then there are the carnitas. Bring on the carnitas. I’m all about the pig. I like pork pretty much any way you slice it… but I will always have a soft spot for carnitas. And these Homesick Texan carnitas are ah-mazing.
AND… because The Homesick Texan is such an amazing and beautiful book and I don’t think anyone should have to live without it – I am giving away 2 copies thanks to the fabulous people over at Hyperion!
To enter, just leave a quick comment telling me your favorite Texas inspired dish of all times!! Mine – definitely carnitas with a side of spicy guacamole.
For a second entry, What’s Gaby Cooking on Facebook, then return here leaving another comment saying you did so.
The giveaway begins today, Friday, September 16, 2011, and ends next Friday, September 23rd, at Midnight PST. Winners will be announced that evening and then the winners books will be shipped out shortly after.
Here’s the quick link to the book on Amazon too!
Here’s the quick run down on the mouth watering Carnitas from The Homesick Texan Cookbook….
The Homesick Texan Cookbook + Carnitas
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder cut into 2 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup Orange Juice
- 1/4 cup Lime Juice
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
Instructions
- Place the pork in a large dutch oven with the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin and salt. Add enough water to barely cover the meat. Bring the pot to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and let cook for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, (and by this point your house will smell awesome) turn the heat up to medium high, and continue to cook the pork for 45 minutes, stirring every once in a while, until all the liquid has evaporated and the pork fat as been rendered.
- Once the pork is browned on both sides, it's ready to eat. Taste and season with a little extra salt if needed.
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Too many great Texan foods to pick from from, but will go with fajitas.
Sour cream chicken enchiladas. mmmmmmm.
I like you on FB.
I AM a homesick Texan! I still remember my first order of fajitas…….
Yum- this looks delicious! Thanks for sharing!
I’m a homesick Texan as well and the thing I miss most are sour cream chicken enchiladas.
I would have to say smoked brisket. I had the best brisket I ever had in my life in west Texas.
We love Tex-Mex flavors! My husband has been known to take down chips, salsa and guac (I’m right beside him, of course) but we love carnitas burritos or chicken fajitas!
Guacamole.
I’ve been lurking on your site for a while, it took a Homesick Texan cookbook giveaway to get me out of hiding. I love most southwest style Mexican food, but my very favorite is Green Chile with Pork, topping a Flour tortilla, fried crisp and sprinkled with cheese. OMG. I also did a facebook thing; hope I did it right.
I’m a Texan…and I can’t live without good ol Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Grilled Veggies. Perfect Meal!
I like you on Facebook!
I’m a big fan of the taco salad!! YUM.
You mean I’ve got to pick one?? Ok, it’s gotta be chili… with chunky meat, of course!!
Not being from Texas… or ever visited Texas… it is hard to say what my favorite Texan food is. However, I do enjoy anything spicy and guacamole. Some of the things I read above that I wouldn’t mind trying to make Sour cream chicken enchiladas and Cheese enchiladas with chile gravy.
I have been a fan on FB for a while now… have so many things I want to try.
Chicken fajitas with a squeeze of lime on corn tortillas…yum!
You bring the carnitas, and I’ll make homemade tortillas. mmmm
Tamales! I loveloveLOVE them! Te.ll me it’s Tex<ex and I'm bound to love it! (seriously, menudo today for lunch. I thought it was real good!) Anything else I'll make at home- fajitas? Easy. Cornbread? With my eyes closed. Carne asada? Fire up the grill! Texas cake? For brekkie… But I've never worked up the courage to try and make tamales, so I just get these burning cravings until I hunt one down… they're deeeelicioooooussss! But intimidating. And there's a recipe on The Homesick Texan… I'll at least have to bookmark it :-/
And I’m “like”ing now!
I lied, you’re nowhere to be found on FB :-/
Mine would be good cheese enchiladas. Thanks, Maureen (jnomaxx at hotmail dot com)
Beef BBQ! When my husband’s mom lived in Texas, we would visit her with plans to eat any and all BBQ we could lay our hands on. We always flew home with well deserved meaty stomach aches. But so worth it!
Those Carnitas look good.
It’s so hard to choose one thing, but I have to say Texas pecan pie!! The cookbook looks amazing, I was drooling over it on Amazon!!
Sopapillas…b.c. they are not only a desert, you can turn them into Apps or the Main Entree…You can stuff them with ANYTHING!!! So, Stuffed Sopapillas, Christmas style.
do you cook with the lid on or off?
I’ve done it both ways – and it works! i prefer with the lid mostly on, but with some of the liquid still escaping!