Spicy Shredded Pork & Cornbread Pie
This recipe was entered in our We ♥ Local Cornmeal recipe contest by Nancy Mock. Nancy submitted the following poem with her recipe:
Spicy Shredded Pork
& Cornbread Pie
is hearty, delicious,
and a keeper says I!
With Nitty Gritty Cornmeal
and tenderloin pork,
it is tasty, indulgent...
a delight on your fork.
This savory-sweet pie
could be your new family fave,
Anytime Southwestern spice
with rich cornbread they crave!
Prep Time
Cook Time
Yield
Ingredients
Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 teaspoon of the salt with the chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, cumin and paprika. Have a crock pot ready, with the temperature set to high heat.
Cut the pork loin into 2 or 3 pieces. Rub each piece of pork on all sides with the spice blend.
In a large pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, sear the pieces of pork loin in the oil - about 1 minute per side, turning the pieces as each side browns. Remove the meat from the pan and place it into a crock pot. Add 1/4 cup of water to the hot pan. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat, while using a spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Add this liquid to the crock pot. If there is any of the spice blend left from step 1, add this in also. Cook the pork on the high setting for about 1 hour, until the pork is cooked through (to 145F) and easy to shred.
Remove the pork from the crock pot, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid. Allow the meat to cool for about 10 minutes. Use your fingers or two forks to shred the pork, removing any bits of fat.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8" x 8" baking dish.
Place about half of the shredded pork into the bottom of the baking dish. Pour 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid over the pork, and then sprinkle 1/2 of the Mexican-blend cheese over the top. Layer the remaining pork evenly over the cheese, and pour the remaining 1/4 cup of liquid over it. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the pork. Press down the top of the layers with your hands to slightly compress the ingredients.
In a medium bowl, combine the half & half (or milk), melted butter, egg and chiles. In a separate bowl, whisk together the Nitty Gritty Grain Company Whole Grain High Meadow Yellow Cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, only until just combined (do not over-mix.) Spoon the batter over the top of the pie and spread into an even layer to the edges of the dish.
Bake for 35 minutes, until the top of the cornbread is lightly browned and a tester inserted into the bread comes out with just a few crumbs. Remove the pie from oven. Slice and serve it while the pie is hot, with salsa or sour cream if desired.