TACOS CARNITAS

TACOS CARNITAS image

Categories Pork

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

4 1/2 pounds pork butt
6 cups water
7 strips orange zest
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 onions, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cinnamon sticks, preferably Mexican (see Note)
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano leaves, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt + salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
24 small corn tortillas, warmed
Chopped cilantro
Finely chopped onion
Fresh salsa verde or hot sauce

Steps:

Trim any thick fat from the outside of the pork butt. Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes. Discard any cubes that are pure fat, but don't try to trim all of the fat out of the meat. Put the pork in a large pot. Add the water, orange zest, garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, bay leaves, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cloves. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Skim off any scum that forms on the surface. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, until the pork is very soft, adding more water if necessary to keep the meat submerged. Season with salt. Bring to a gentle boil and cook until the water has evaporated about 30 minutes. Cook a little longer to fry the meat slightly. (Note: if you want extra-crispy carnitas, fry approximately 25 minutes.) Watch carefully to prevent burning. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Put the meat in a fine strainer and push gently with a wooden spoon to remove any excess fat. Discard the fat. Fold a few tablespoons of carnitas inside each tortilla and top each taco with cilantro, onion and salsa. Note: Mexican cinnamon (canela) is found at Latin American markets.