Description
Carnitas Tamale Pie is a flavorful Mexican-inspired dish featuring tender, shredded pork shoulder marinated with citrus and spices, cooked in a pressure cooker, and layered over a savory jalapeño corn muffin crust. Topped with melted cheddar and pepper jack cheese and garnished with fresh herbs and salsa verde, this hearty casserole offers a delicious fusion of tamale and pie textures perfect for a comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pork and Marinade
- 2 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless pork shoulder, cut into 1″ pieces
- 3 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 scallions, sliced, plus more for serving
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves or 4 tsp. dried oregano
- Juice of 1 orange
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 cup salsa verde, plus more for serving
Cornbread Mixture
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup chopped pickled jalapeños
- 1/2 cup creamed corn
- 1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for serving
- 1 (8.5-oz.) box Jiffy corn muffin mix
- Cooking spray
Toppings
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Finely chopped tomatoes
Instructions
- Marinate the Pork: Season pork with kosher salt and place into a large resealable plastic bag. In a food processor or blender, combine scallions, garlic, oregano, orange juice, lime juice, and cumin. Blend until smooth, then pour marinade over the pork in the bag. Seal and massage the marinade into the pork. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours to allow the flavors to infuse.
- Pressure Cook the Pork: Transfer the pork and marinade to a pressure cooker. Add 1 cup of salsa verde and stir. Cover and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. After cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then perform a quick release to release any remaining pressure.
- Shred and Prepare Pork: Move the pork to a large shallow container and shred it into small pieces using forks. Pour the cooking liquid into a tall container and skim off excess fat from the top. Add 1/2 cup of this liquid back to the shredded pork and mix well. Discard any remaining liquid.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Cornbread Batter: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place a large cast-iron skillet inside the oven to heat. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg, jalapeños, creamed corn, and sour cream until smooth. Stir in the corn muffin mix just until combined.
- Bake Cornbread: Wearing oven mitts, carefully remove the hot skillet and spray it with cooking spray. Pour the cornbread batter into the skillet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the edges pull away from the pan. Let the cornbread cool slightly.
- Assemble Tamale Pie: Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes evenly across the surface of the cornbread. Spoon the shredded pork evenly over the cornbread, spreading to fill in holes. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheeses on top.
- Bake and Broil: Return the skillet to the oven and bake for 15 minutes to melt the cheese and heat through. Then switch the oven to broil and broil the pie for approximately 5 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from oven and top with chopped cilantro, finely chopped tomatoes, sliced scallions, extra salsa verde, and dollops of sour cream. Slice and serve warm for a delicious and comforting meal.
Notes
- Marinating the pork overnight will deepen the flavors.
- Use a cast-iron skillet for the best cornbread crust texture and even heat distribution.
- Feel free to substitute pickled jalapeños with fresh jalapeños for a milder heat.
- Skimming fat from the pork liquid reduces greasiness while retaining flavor.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated; the tamale pie tastes even better the next day as flavors meld.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
