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Carnitas Tacos Recipe

/ Burritos, Tacos & Wraps, Showcase / By

My eldest brother is married to a Mexican woman. When I was little I remember Don Fernando, her father making Carnitas in the backyard in a large copper cauldron for a special event being held by the family. Seriously, I could fit into this pot. It was huge. Later I found out this is the traditional way to cook carnitas.  This pot was sitting on large bricks and in between the bricks was a large fire pit. Its origin goes all the way back to Michoacan and the copper pot distributes the heat evenly. This has made mouth watering carnitas for over centuries. Some traditions shouldn’t be messed with. I on the other hand am making a much smaller portion that is oven friendly and instead of using lard I’m braising in beer and fruit, herbs and seasonings. Instead of 8 to 10 hours this will take 2 to 2 ½  hours until the pork is falling apart. We will make Carnita tacos. The star of this show is the pork. We want to taste the pork… so simple is key here. I will not cover this in salsa or guacamole; it is simply dressed with white onions and cilantro. We want the pork to shine right through. Our tortillas will be grilled to blend perfectly with the carnitas. Roasted salsa on the side will not be frowned upon. Also a small sprinkling of cotija cheese would be acceptable. But once again let’s keep this recipe simple. 

Carnitas Tacos

These carnitas are braised in beer for two to two and a half hours. Once it comes out of the oven they literally fall apart. Using the beer and fruit along with the spices and seasonings breaks this pork down while simultaneously injecting tremendous flavor. We will then have some crispy edges without having to double bake or fry (as many do). The beer seers the pork on the outside and keeps it juicy on the inside. We then heat our corn tortilla just enough that they are pliant yet a little crispy on the edges. We accomplish this on the grill or your broiler in the oven will also accomplish this. We then fill our tortillas with this majestic pork and top it with white diced onions and chopped cilantro. We also do a small sprinkling of cotija cheese. You want to keep this basic but if you want you can have roasted salsa on the side. Roasted Salsa Recipe Also we suggest the Spicy Paloma to quench your thirst while enjoying these tacos! Spicy Paloma Recipe
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Servings 6 Tacos

Ingredients
  

Carnitas Tacos

  • 2 .5 lbs of Pork Tenderloin (cut into 2 inch cubes)
  • 1 Tbsp. Garlic Salt
  • 2 Tbsps. McCormick Montreal Seasoning
  • 1 Large white onion (peeled and cubed)
  • 8 Cloves of Garlic (minced)
  • 8 Tbsp. Olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. Oregano (fresh or dried, chopped)
  • 1 Tsp. Cumin
  • 2 Tsps. Chili Powder
  • ½ tsp. Ground Cloves
  • 4 Bay leaves
  • 2 Cups of Beer
  • ¼ Cup Lime Juice (fresh)
  • ¼ Cup of Orange juice
  • 1 Orange (cut into wedges)

For Serving

  • 12 Corn Tortillas
  • 1 Cup Onion (Chopped)
  • 1 Cup of Cilantro (Chopped)
  • ½ Cup of Cotija cheese (Crumbled)
  • ½ Cup Roasted Salsa (Roasted Salsa Recipe)

Note: this pairs well with a Spicy Paloma Cocktail

    Instructions
     

    Carnitas Tacos

    • Gather your ingredients
    • Place your oven grate on the second to last level so that your pot fits or adjust accordingly and add your baking sheet with a parchment paper. (This is to catch any spills)
    • Preheat the oven to 350° F.
    • Place a large oven proof pot on top of your Stove on high heat.
    • Place your pork, onions and garlic in a large bowl.
    • Mix all of your seasonings and spices in another bowl. (Garlic salt, Mccormick seasoning, oregano, cumin, chili powder, and ground cloves.)
    • Once all of your spices and seasonings are mixed, incorporate them into your bowl of pork, onions and garlic.
    • Add Olive Oil to your pot.
    • Add your mixed pork into the pot.
    • Brown your mixture well. On all sides this makes flavor...BROWN IS GOOD!
    • When it is all golden brown you now add your beer. (I know! you thought the beer was for you.)
    • You add your lime and orange juices next.
    • Now add your orange wedges and your bay leaves.
    • Cover your pot and place in your oven.
    • Braise for 2 to 2 ½ hours. Or until pork is fork tender.
    • Discard oranges and bay leaves remember to remove 4 bay leaves! At this point you could shred the meat but i like to leave it chunkyish (its my new word) / Shredded.
    • Grilled or toast your tortillas. This will only take a few minutes so watch them!
    • I like to wrap them in a towel and let them sit in the microwave to keep warm. We had 2 and a half hours to prepare for all of this. About 2 hours into the braising of the Carnitas, I would make our Spicy Palomas Click here for recipe and leave the pitcher in the freezer to hold. Let's build our Tacos and Pour our Palomas!
    • Put your tortilla on a plate
    • Fill them with your carnitas.
    • Top with your chopped onions.
    • Top with your chopped cilantro.
    • Sprinkle some Cotija cheese.
    • Enjoy!
    Carnitas Tacos
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