CARNITAS (PULLED PORK TACOS)

CARNITAS (PULLED PORK TACOS) image

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients for the pork (can be halved for a small pork loin):
3 lb boneless pork loin roast, cut into large (3-4 inch) pieces (do NOT trim away the small amount of fat)
2 tsp Kosher salt
4 tsp ancho chile powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, or enough to cover the bottom of the pot
12 fluid oz beer, (or chicken stock), preferably with citrus notes
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Accoutrements for the tacos:
corn or flour tortillas
avocado slices
2% plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
fresh cilantro
hot sauce
lime wedges
tormatillo salsa (salsa verde)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine salt and rest of spices in a small bowl. Spread spice mixture onto a plate. Evenly coat the pork pieces on all sides with the dry rub. Heat oil in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add in the seasoned pork pieces, and sear all sides until browned (about 1 minute per side). Remove pork from the dutch oven. Pour in the beer (or chicken stock) and scrape the bottom of the dutch oven to deglaze and release the browned bits of pork. Add in the orange juice, and bring mixture to a boil. Add in the seared pork. Cover dutch oven and place in oven for 1/2 hour. Remove lid, turn pork pieces over, and return to oven-uncovered-for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the pork is fork-tender, turning the pork pieces 1-2 times during the cooking process. Shred pork right into the sauce using two forks. Toss the pulled pork with the reduced sauce. There will be less sauce than there is for BBQ pulled pork (or my Spicy Pulled Chicken), so don't expect a super saucy end result. Serve with accoutrements.