Habenaro Cilantro Rice and Carnitas

I never knew this guy existed until I met my husband!  This lovely orange pepper looks sweet and innocent but I am pretty sure it could be used to light a fire!

My first experience with a Habenaro pepper was back in 2005.  Jake was living in Chicago and my sister and I set off to visit him.  Like all good host, Jake offered to cook for us!  Little did I know that Jake's chili recipe called for 2 of these fiery peppers.  The chili was vibrant with color and the flavors melded together nicely ...and then the after burn kicked in.  It was sheer pandemonium for my taste buds!  Fast Forward to 2012 and I have grown fond of these little guys.  So much so that I now grow them in my garden every summer!

Last night we had spicy crock-pot pulled pork! I used a recipe that I found in my Pioneer Women Cookbook. Here is a similar recipe!  I love cooking pork butt and freezing the leftovers!

Jake's Carnitas

Tonight we used our remaining pork butt to make carnitas.  On a tortilla shell, layer meat, cheese, and other toppings you would like.  I used salsa!

As a side I whipped up Habenaro Cilantro Rice.  I found this recipe on Pinterst and it was better than I expected! Fresh and Fiery.  Think Chipolte restaurant style rice with more heat!

Begin by finely chopping one habenaro.  Add to a sauce pan and saute in oil.

Stir in 2 cups of water and 1 cup of rice.    Bring to boil and continue to boil until water is dissolved.

While rice cooks. Chop cilantro and 2 scallions and place in bowl.

Add the juice of 1 lime and pour mixture over rice.

Warm for 3 - 5 minutes and serve.