Crock Pot Pulled Pork, Confetti Brown Rice, and Avocado-Tomato Relish

Ingredients

*For Pulled Pork:
2 – 3 pound pork sirloin tip roast (this cut of meat is super lean and tasty)
1 15 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes, drained
1 small can diced green chilis, drained
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 tsp cumin (or more, if desired)
1 tsp seasoned salt (or more, if desired)

*For Confetti Brown Rice:
Different rices have different proportions and cook times, but here’s what I used…
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup short grain brown rice
½ cup black beans, drained and washed
¼ cup green onions (white and green parts), diced small
¼ cup red and yellow bell peppers, diced small
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

*For the Avocado-Tomato Relish:
1 medium avocado (about 1 cup diced small. Look for a firm avocado so it won’t be mushy)
1 medium tomato (about 1 cup seeded and diced small)
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup green onions, chopped (just the green tops)
2 tbsp lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

*For garnish:
Cotija cheese (an amazing Mexican cheese with a creamy taste and a crumbly texture)
Extra cilantro

Directions:

(To give pork maximum flavor and juiciness, I always brine the meat first. To do that, mix 4 cups of warm water, ¼ cup sugar, and ¼ cup salt. Place the pork in the brine for 4 hours. When ready to cook, remove from the brine.)
Rub the seasoned salt and cumin all over the brined pork and place in the crock pot. Pour the chicken stock in the bottom (but don’t pour over the meat or you’ll remove all the seasoning!) Pour in the tomatoes and chilis all around. Set the crock pot on high for about 5 hours, or until desired tenderness. When completely cooked and tender, shred meat with two forks.

As the pork is cooking, make the avocado-tomato relish. Combine avocado, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix well. Refrigerate to let flavors mix.

As the pork is finishing being cooked, prepare the confetti rice. Combine chicken stock, brown rice, and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil, stir, cover with a lid, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes. After rice is done, heat a small pan with a little olive oil, and sauté the green onions and peppers until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Into the cooked rice, stir the black beans, onion and pepper mixture, and cilantro. Season to taste.

To assemble:
Place cooked and shredded pork on a plate with confetti rice and avocado-tomato relish. Sprinkle with a small amount of Cotija cheese and extra cilantro, if desired.