CARNITAS TACOS WITH SLOW COOKED PORK
I think it’s about time we have something other than Chinese recipes on the blog for a while now. This past weekend, I resurrected an old favorite. Even though this isn’t exactly a recipe that comes from the “old family,” we’ve been preparing it for a long time now. Pork carnitas tacos are the ideal dish for a large group of people to enjoy together.
Preparation takes only a few minutes, while cooking only takes a fraction of that time. Adding water and a few seasonings, pork shoulder is browned and then added to the saucepan.
You’ll get the best carnitas tacos you’ve ever had as a result of this. For many large gatherings, we’ve made this pork carnitas tacos recipe, and they’ve never failed. Burritos, quesadillas, or rice and beans are all good alternatives to tacos if you don’t like them. People, the sky’s the limit!
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 lbs boneless pork shoulder
- 5 cloves of sliced garlic
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 shredded small head red cabbage
- 1 juiced and zested small orange
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- chopped avocado
- cilantro
- olive oil
- salt
- lime wedges
- toasted flour or corn tortillas
- queso fresco
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Sprinkle salt all over the pork before cooking. Sear the pork in stages until it is well-browned on both sides in a large ovenproof pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Set oven to 375 degrees. All pork should be re-added to the Dutch oven and covered with water about two-thirds of the way up. Add all the spices, bay leaves, and garlic at this point. Pour in the water and bring it to a boil. Uncover the Dutch oven and bake it once it’s reached a rolling boil again. After 3 1/2 to 4 hours of cooking time, check the pork every hour to see if it’s breaking apart. If it isn’t, add a little more water to the pot.
- Toss the cabbage with orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, and salt to taste. Prepare each serving by placing some of the carnitas and topping it with some of the slaw, avocado slices and cilantro before adding the queso fresco. Fresh lime juice should be squeezed over each serving.