Torito Platter Recipe

Toast the dried chiles briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant, taking care not to burn them.

Place toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Soak 15 minutes until softened, then drain and reserve 1/4 cup soaking liquid.

In a blender, combine soaked chiles, tomato sauce, chopped onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper and 1/4–1/2 cup water or reserved soaking liquid. Blend until very smooth, adding more water if necessary to reach a pourable sauce consistency (about 1/2 cup total).

Taste and adjust salt or vinegar. Set aside 1 cup of this sauce for the carnitas; refrigerate any extra for future use.

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Pat pork shoulder pieces dry and season with 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp garlic powder.

Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a heavy Dutch oven or ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Brown the pork in batches on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side, to develop color. Transfer browned pieces to a plate.

Add the quartered onion and bay leaf to the pot; sauté 2 minutes to pick up browned bits. Return pork to pot. Pour in 1 cup stock and 1 cup house red sauce so meat is partially submerged.

Bring to a simmer on the stovetop, cover, then transfer to the oven. Braise 2 to 2.25 hours until pork is fork-tender and easily shreds.

Remove pork to a cutting board; shred with two forks. Skim excess fat from the braising liquid and reserve about 1/3 cup of sauce to mix with shredded pork. Toss shredded pork with reserved sauce to coat.

For crispy carnitas (optional): spread shredded pork on a rimmed baking sheet and broil 3–5 minutes, stirring once, until edges are crispy. Watch closely to avoid burning.

Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season with 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter foams.

Add sliced mushrooms and a pinch of salt; sauté 4–5 minutes until they release liquid and begin to brown.

Push mushrooms to one side of the pan; add remaining 2 tbsp butter and the minced garlic. Cook garlic 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not brown.

Add seasoned shrimp in a single layer. Cook 1.5–2 minutes per side until opaque and firm. Stir mushrooms together with shrimp to coat in butter-garlic sauce.

Stir in lemon juice, red pepper flakes and chopped parsley. Taste and adjust salt. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) if baking; line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. If frying, heat oil in a deep fryer or large pot to 375°F (190°C).

Pat wings very dry. Toss wings with 1 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1/2 tsp garlic powder until evenly coated.

If baking: arrange wings on the rack spaced apart; brush or spray with 2 tbsp oil. Bake 35–45 minutes, flipping once halfway, until skin is deeply golden and crisp.

If frying: fry wings in batches 8–10 minutes until crisp and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.

Reserve half of the wings plain and toss the other half in the prepared Buffalo sauce (see below) to serve as buffalo wings.

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine 1/2 cup hot sauce and 2 tbsp butter. Stir until butter melts and the sauce is smooth. Add 1 tsp honey, 1/2 tsp white vinegar and 1/8 tsp cayenne; whisk and simmer 1 minute to meld. Keep warm.

Toss designated wings in the hot sauce mixture until evenly coated. Serve immediately to keep crispness.

Slice the ripe avocados and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and a squeeze of lime to prevent browning.

On a large platter, arrange a portion of shredded pork carnitas (drizzled with any remaining reserved sauce), a mound of sautéed shrimp & mushrooms, a cluster of crispy plain wings and a cluster of buffalo wings.

Garnish the platter with sliced avocados, chopped cilantro and lime wedges. Serve with tortillas or toasted bread on the side.

Recommend serving immediately while wings are hot and shrimp are warm.