I have a mad kinda crazy love affair with potatoes. I love them all, any potato, of any kind, with anything on it, or just plain naked. I love crinkle cuts, steak fries, wedges, pixies, hashbrowns, stuffed skins, twice baked, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, new potatoes, Yukon Golds, fingerlings, chili cheese fries, sour cream baked potatoes, Hasselbeck potatoes, Colcannon potatoes, mashed potatoes with gravy or sour cream and chives, it matters not to me. I will inhale and devour any and all forms of potato. Kinda like Popeye and spinach. Except much worse. Much. Worse. Imagine more an offspring of Popeye meets Wimpy… or the McDonald’s Fry Guy in Tyrannosaurus Rex form…who hadn’t eaten in a month. Yeah, that’s pretty close.

When I was pregnant with my daughter I craved french fries drowned in malt vinegar. Who am I kidding. Being pregnant was just an excuse to eat them in mass abundance with no questions or funny looks. Who is really going to ask a pregnant woman if she’s finished yet or how much more she plans to eat? That would not be wise on any level. Idaho loved me as I single-tummedly kept them in a state of economic euphoria for 9 months straight.  I should have had a potato named after me. Like the Meltato. Or the Polissa. Yes, it was me alone. I claim this title.

All that said, did you see that picture up there? That my friends is a photo of one of the greatest toppings for the fry I have ever come across. I KNEW I had to share this with you.

These….are….

wait for it…

wait…

for…

it…

 

CARNITA FRIES!!!! Oh. Em. GEEE!!!!! (Insert serious girly squealing here.)

Oh. Em. Gee.

My love for Mexican food meets my love for fries on one, single, beautiful, plate. Sheer heaven. Utter bliss. …for a fry gal like me.

Home Cut Fries with Pineapple Cilantro Carnitas

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pork – cubed (Make sure it has a good marble as the fat is key in this recipe)
• 1 container grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 good sized baking potatoes – cut into small wedges
• Cotija Cheese – Crumbled
• 1/2 bunch Cilantro – chopped
• 1 bunch green onions – chopped

Marinade:

• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 bunch Cilantro – chopped
• 4 garlic cloves – minced
• 1 jalapeno – seeded and minced
• 1 tsp. cumin
• juice of 3 limes
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• additional olive oil for potatoes
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Blend all marinade ingredients and marinate pork overnight.

Place potato wedges on a greased baking sheet. Drizzle with EVOO, salt & pepper. Bake at 425 until potatoes are golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Remove pork from marinade and allow to air dry in the refrigerator for about an hour. Drier meat will develop a crispier crust. In a skillet on high heat, sear pork for about 30 seconds, then reduce heat. Sautee’ pork until done, but not overcooked. Always keep in mind, foods will continue to cook a bit after you remove them from the heat source. You always want to leave foods a little under-cooked when removing from heat. The cooking process will continue as they sit.

Plate your potatoes, then top with carnitas, tomatoes, Cotija cheese, Cilantro and Green onion. Other topping options include guacamole and/or sour cream.

I love a potato. Bon Appetit’ y’all!