I’m having a couple of old friends over for dinner tonight: 6 o’clock margaritas, along with tortilla chips (the good thick ones) and two kinds of salsa I made myself, along with guacamole, chunky and garlicky. These guys are absolute dog lovers, so The Ferg and Jake the Man, will be joining the party out on my deck, well. Actually, they’ll be taking over the party, Jake with his ball and Fergie with her slutty way of creeping toward my guests with legs splayed for a scratch.

I made carnitas along with Spanish rice and refried beans. There’s enough food to feed the neighborhood. Oh, and for desert, New York cheesecake. Not very Mexican, I know, but it’s what I feel like.

Here’s the crockpot carnitas recipe:

• 3-4 lb pork butt or shoulder
• Add a can of tomatillos, ½ cup of white wine and a generous sprinkling of oregano and garlic and place in crockpot

Cook on high for approximately 4-6 hours, until the meat pulls apart easily. Remove the meat from the cooker and set aside to cool. Pour the liquid into a saucepan and add the juice from 1 orange. Cook over medium heat until sauce has reduced and thickened. Break the pork into chunks, put the chunks on a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet and baste with the reduced sauce.

Broil, turning once or twice, until crispy.Serves: 6

Serve with corn warmed corn tortillas, guacamole and salsa

Ole!