Pork Carnitas
In Spanish, carnitas means “little meats,” and this is probably the most popular taco in Mexican cuisine. The pork pieces are succulent, juicy, and rich with a browned crust from frying—perfect for tacos. The best places in Mexico for this taco are at carnitas restaurants. Every town has one or more, some open only on weekends. You’ll see huge cauldrons—thirty gallons or more—of boiling pork fat holding whole pork loins, shoulders, and other big cuts like ribs. The chef closely monitors the frying temperature, pulling out the meat at just the right moment—when cooked, but still juicy. Customers say which cut they want and how much, always getting a mixture of lean and fatty meats, which make better tacos. The meat is weighed and chopped. Once you’ve paid, you take your carnitas to a table set up with fresh tortillas and bowls of salsa. Order a couple of cold beers and you are in taco heaven. This recipe is much simpler and easier, and the carnitas are great.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 8 tacos
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a large bowl, add the pork, chile caribe, salt, chipotle powder, and canela. Toss to coat the pork evenly with the seasoning. Let the meat marinate in the spice mixture for at least 1 hour at room temperature.
Step 2
In a large, heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron), heat the oil over medium heat. Add the seasoned meat and let the pieces sear on all sides. Cook the meat until golden brown and crusty, stirring only occasionally to preserve the crust, about 25 minutes.
Step 3
Remove from the heat and serve immediately or keep warm in the pan until ready to serve.
Step 4
To serve, lay the tortillas side by side, open face and overlapping on a platter. Divide the filling equally between the tortillas and top with salsa. Grab, fold, and eat right away. Or build your own taco: lay a tortilla, open face, in one hand. Spoon on some filling, top with salsa, fold, and eat right away.
