fiesta carnitas tapas board

I will shamelessly admit that J and I attacked everything pictured – and then some – on this snack platter this past weekend. Except some of the cheese.

I’m thinking I might create a post theme of Snack Board Saturday starting soon. What do you think? After this past Saturday’s snacking extravaganza I think I’m hooked on making charcuterie spreads. They’re easy to customize with absolutely whatever and even more seamless after my brain hardly functions post-long run. With the latter in mind, a big board of stuff ensures I eat enough when my appetite sort of shrivels after those hard efforts.

I’m liking this idea. For now, though, it’s a Fiesta Carnitas Tapas Board featuring jackfruit as the star namesake. Minimal cooking, a ton of color, and of course heaps of corn tortilla chips. My favorite. My bane.

The Carnitas

I used a similar formula for the jackfruit carnitas in my Barbacoa Jackfruit Taco Boats. The key is slow simmering the hunks until they shred like pork and absorb all of the incredible spices and juices created by the sauce.

This part is the most “involved” of the board, and the hands off time allows for multitasking and working on other components. Quickly saute some onion and garlic, then stir in chili powder, cumin, and paprika. Toast for a minute.

Grab your drained jackfruit and gently shred over the pan as you drop the pieces into the aromatics. It’s not important to separate it into fine threads. The cooking process takes care of the finer details. Pour in brown sugar, adobo sauce, cider vinegar, lime juice, and some vegetarian beef broth. I highly recommend this one, and really the whole brand line.

Let the jackfruit simmer gently in the liquid, stirring on occasion to prevent any sticking. I allowed about 15 minutes for this portion, as that’s how long it took for the juices to absorb into the fruit.

While you prepare your board, keep the jackfruit covered and warm, whether in the pan or in a bowl.

Make like a chip and dip

I didn’t provide a recipe for guacamole since I think most are nearly identical and equally fantastic. I will say I go pretty heavy on the cilantro, however.

The Jalapeno Pineapple Pico de Gallo, however, is 100% worth a mention. It’s really easy, uses few ingredients, and provides a wonderful fresh compliment to the jackfruit and the creamy guacamole. Simply chop up some tomato, pineapple, jalapenos (deseeded if you wish for less spice), cilantro, red onion, and lime juice. Toss together and scoop into a small bowl.

Board assemblage

Tortilla chips are an absolute must. No ifs, ands, or buts. You can use multicolored ones for an extra bright kick if you wish, but pile them on. Don’t be shy. Those dips won’t dip themselves, you know?

I added some watermelon for a refreshing sweet accompaniment. Grapes work well too, as would some type of stone fruit like apricots, but I was so dehydrated after running that melon sounded like the best option.

Then, for a veggie side, I grilled some zucchini and red bell peppers on the stovetop with a bit of salt and pepper until nicely charred and juicy.

Olives for brine. I went with manzanilla olives stuffed with pimentos. You could use some fat black olives as an alternative.

Finally, the queso. Mexican cheeses are somewhat few, so I mixed in some hot pepper jack with a few Spanish wedges. Think Iberico, Cabra al Vino, and Manchego. Cotija works, too, and would be real nice sprinkled onto the guacamole.

Whatever you choose, you really can’t go wrong on this board!

Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!

Make it a true fiesta!

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