You can use carnitas in burritos, tacos, tortas, tamales, and tostadas to name a few. But if you're weird like me, your favorite way to serve carnitas is in a burrito bowl with guacamole and pico de gallo, and the occasional rice, sour cream, lettuce, and cheese. Never with beans of any type!
FYI: Whenever you see the word 'onion' in my recipes, it always means that I used yellow onions. If I used any other onions, it will be specified (like red onion or Vidalia). Use red or white onions for pico de gallo and guacamole, if desired.
Carnitas
Carnitas
ingredients:
• 3 to 3.5 lbs whole pork shoulder blade roast, bone-in
• ½ lb lard (half of the box or about 1 cup)
• ¼ tsp kosher salt + more for sprinkling
• ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or any neutral oil)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chipotle chile pepper (McCormick)
• 1 tsp ancho chile pepper (McCormick)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander seed
• 2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican, if available)
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 whole jalapeño, diced
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 1 orange
• 1 lime
ingredients:
• 3 to 3.5 lbs whole pork shoulder blade roast, bone-in
• ½ lb lard (half of the box or about 1 cup)
• ¼ tsp kosher salt + more for sprinkling
• ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or any neutral oil)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chipotle chile pepper (McCormick)
• 1 tsp ancho chile pepper (McCormick)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander seed
• 2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican, if available)
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 whole jalapeño, diced
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 1 orange
• 1 lime
instructions:
1) Place lard in the slow cooker, put the lid on and turn the temperature to "High". Let the lard melt while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.
◘ tip: For smaller slow cookers, use ¼ lb lard to avoid spillovers later on.
2) Wash the orange and lime because the whole thing is going in the slow cooker. Depending on the size of your cooker, you may need to halve or quarter both the orange and lime to make it fit.
3) Mix the spice paste in a bowl: grapeseed oil, cumin, chipotle chile pepper, ancho chile pepper, chili powder, ground coriander seed, dried oregano, and dried thyme. Set aside.
4) Depending on the size of your cooker, you may need to cut the pork shoulder in half to make it fit. Liberally season the pork with salt and pepper on all sides and every crevice. Then, rub the spice paste all over the pork.
5) Add half of the onions in the bottom of the cooker, then the pork. Add the rest of the onions, garlic, jalapeño (seeds and all), and bay leaves. Squeeze orange and lime juice over the top and toss the rinds in the cooker. Cover and cook on "High" for 5 hours, or "High" for 4 hours plus 2 hours on "Low".
6) Line the broiler pan with foil. Preheat broiler. Scoop the meat out of the cooker and transfer it to the broiler pan, shredding it as you lay the meat in a single layer. Remove citrus rinds, bay leaves, and bone. Pour the meat juices left in the cooker to a fat separator.
◘ tip: If you don't have a fat separator, pour the meat juices into a bowl and scoop the fat off the top.
7) Place the broiler pan on the top rack and broil carnitas for 3 minutes.
8) Transfer carnitas to a dish or large serving bowl. Pour in the meat juices all over the top and season with ¼ tsp salt. Mix well and serve.
1) Place lard in the slow cooker, put the lid on and turn the temperature to "High". Let the lard melt while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.
◘ tip: For smaller slow cookers, use ¼ lb lard to avoid spillovers later on.
2) Wash the orange and lime because the whole thing is going in the slow cooker. Depending on the size of your cooker, you may need to halve or quarter both the orange and lime to make it fit.
3) Mix the spice paste in a bowl: grapeseed oil, cumin, chipotle chile pepper, ancho chile pepper, chili powder, ground coriander seed, dried oregano, and dried thyme. Set aside.
4) Depending on the size of your cooker, you may need to cut the pork shoulder in half to make it fit. Liberally season the pork with salt and pepper on all sides and every crevice. Then, rub the spice paste all over the pork.
5) Add half of the onions in the bottom of the cooker, then the pork. Add the rest of the onions, garlic, jalapeño (seeds and all), and bay leaves. Squeeze orange and lime juice over the top and toss the rinds in the cooker. Cover and cook on "High" for 5 hours, or "High" for 4 hours plus 2 hours on "Low".
6) Line the broiler pan with foil. Preheat broiler. Scoop the meat out of the cooker and transfer it to the broiler pan, shredding it as you lay the meat in a single layer. Remove citrus rinds, bay leaves, and bone. Pour the meat juices left in the cooker to a fat separator.
◘ tip: If you don't have a fat separator, pour the meat juices into a bowl and scoop the fat off the top.
7) Place the broiler pan on the top rack and broil carnitas for 3 minutes.
8) Transfer carnitas to a dish or large serving bowl. Pour in the meat juices all over the top and season with ¼ tsp salt. Mix well and serve.
Serve Carnitas with:
○ Warm tortillas, taco shells, pico de gallo, guacamole (recipe follows), sour cream, Mexican crema, cheese, cilantro leaves, beans/refried beans, corn salsa, diced onions, rice, shredded lettuce, lime wedges, etc. Or in a sandwich, quesadillas, on top of fries or nachos.
○ Warm tortillas, taco shells, pico de gallo, guacamole (recipe follows), sour cream, Mexican crema, cheese, cilantro leaves, beans/refried beans, corn salsa, diced onions, rice, shredded lettuce, lime wedges, etc. Or in a sandwich, quesadillas, on top of fries or nachos.
Guacamole
ingredients:
• 3 avocados, seeds removed
• quarter of an onion, finely diced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeds & pulp removed, diced
• 1 lime, halved
• 1 tsp kosher salt, divided use
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
ingredients:
• 3 avocados, seeds removed
• quarter of an onion, finely diced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, seeds & pulp removed, diced
• 1 lime, halved
• 1 tsp kosher salt, divided use
• 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
instructions:
1) Using a knife, make cross-hatch cuts into the avocado flesh. Squeeze the flesh out into a bowl. Mash the avocados using a potato masher. Squeeze half of the lime juice over the avocados to prevent it from turning brown. Season with ½ tsp salt, then stir.
2) Add onions, tomatoes, the rest of the salt, cilantro, and squeeze the rest of the lime juice over the top. Stir well and serve.
1) Using a knife, make cross-hatch cuts into the avocado flesh. Squeeze the flesh out into a bowl. Mash the avocados using a potato masher. Squeeze half of the lime juice over the avocados to prevent it from turning brown. Season with ½ tsp salt, then stir.
2) Add onions, tomatoes, the rest of the salt, cilantro, and squeeze the rest of the lime juice over the top. Stir well and serve.
Serve Guacamole with:
○ Tortilla chips, burritos, tacos, tortas, tostadas, nachos, fajitas, sandwich, etc.
Carnitas
○ Tortilla chips, burritos, tacos, tortas, tostadas, nachos, fajitas, sandwich, etc.
Carnitas
Guacamole
No comments:
Post a Comment