Friday, March 29, 2013

Carnitas by Del Real Foods

Ever since the boys came along a little more than eight years ago, we've frequently been in a pinch for dinner. One go-to that's bailed us out many nights is the carnitas from Del Real Foods. The meat, easily warmed up in a microwave, is deliciously seasoned and goes really well with brown rice and salsa. Throw in a little salad and it might even seem dinner is actually healthy.

Probably knowing that one big bag of carnitas is too much pig for one family dinner, Del Real recently wised up and split the portions across two plastic bags. Even one bag, we found, is probably enough for six or seven portions, so we still have leftovers.

I get the Del Real carnitas at Costco; I haven't seen it elsewhere. For all the flops we've come across at Costco (see for example the mu shu I reviewed earlier this month), the carnitas by Del Real gives their refrigerated section some much needed credibility.


Monday, March 4, 2013

Mu Shu Pork--Harvest Foods


When I saw the package at Costco, it looked so promising. For a family of four always in a rush, I thought the mu shu pork with crepes from Harvest Foods could be a delicious time saver. At least that's what the box led me to believe.

Instead, it turned out to be a gloppy concoction that had me apologizing to my family over and over again for bringing it home. Not to be harsh, but I strongly suspect the people who developed this recipe never had mu shu pork in their lives. Who ever heard of mu shu pork with a thick slimy gravy? Gross. To make matters worse, it was so spicy the kids couldn't tolerate it. (Please note: Mu shu pork shouldn't be spicy. At all.)

This meal did have one saving grace, though. The crepes, which were heated in a frying pan one at a time, were enjoyed by everyone. I liked that it was hot and chewy. Because the boys couldn't eat the spicy filling, we filled their crepes with deli ham. They loved the crepes so much, in fact, they even ate them plain.