Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Product review - Pork Masitas (Trader Joe's)


Although my local Trader Joe's has started to label gluten free items with shelf tags, not everything that is wheat free/gluten free is labeled.  A few weeks ago, I was browsing the freezer section and came across "Pork Masitas".  I have never passed up a pork product in my life so I picked it up to read the ingredients, expecting to find hidden wheat and have to put it back.  I was thrilled that it was wheat free!

This is a microwavable entree that can easily serve two when you add a salad to the menu.  The dish contains a blend of rice and beans, big chunks of plantains, and roasted pork with a Cuban spice.  It microwaves in about 10 minutes (with some stirring and sitting time)

It has a nice sweet/spice mix that I like in Cuban food, but it could be a tad spicier. I upped the heat on mine by sprinkling on some pickapeppa sauce that we bought on a trip to Jamaica.   I think Ross put sriracha on his to give it a little more kick.  

The pork is plentiful and tender and breaks apart with a fork.   I can't remember liking plantains the last time I had them, but these are good!  They are soft yet firm, like a sweet potato, and have a sweet taste to them that goes well with the pork.

The black beans and rice was yummy and I would eat this part as a stand alone if they sold it that way.

This item was a winner and on my next trip to T-Joe's I bought two packages so I could stash it in my freezer.  Now when we have a case of the "I don't know what to make for dinner" blues, I  pull this out.

Do you have a favorite Trader Joe's find?  What is it?


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This looked interesting...I am actually cooking it now for dinner as we speak. I threw it in my oven. Cant wait to give it a try. I also enjoy the Penne peppernota in the freezer section. 2 bags feed my family of 4.

Anonymous said...

Our experience with this dish is TOTALLY opposite. The "pork" was grisly, smelled rancid and was as tough as shoe leather. And it was not due to our cooking method as we prepared the dish as directed by the package. It was the most disgusting thing we have ever tried ANYWHERE. My recommendation is to PASS on this one.

Anonymous said...

I was also happy to find no gluten ingredients on the label. I found it to be quite delicious. I recommend that folks try it for themselves.

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