Tacos de Carnitas
Tacos de Carnitas are traditional Mexican street food featuring slow-cooked pork that is tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, served in corn tortillas with fresh toppings.
Nutrition
Calories: 290cal
Carbohydrate: 10g
Protein: 22g
Fat: 20g
Cholesterol: 75mg
Sodium: 540mg
Difficulty Level: easy
20 min Prep
4 hr 30 min Cook
4 hr 50 min Total
8 Servings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds pork shoulder (pork butt), cut into large chunks
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 orange, juiced
- 1 cup water
- Corn tortillas, for serving
- Diced onion, for topping
- Chopped cilantro, for topping
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
- In a large oven-proof pot or Dutch oven, combine the pork shoulder chunks, salt, black pepper, oregano, and ground cumin. Ensure the pork is well coated with the spices.
- Add the quartered onion, bay leaves, and garlic cloves to the pot with the pork.
- Squeeze the juice from the orange over the pork and place the orange halves in the pot.
- Add 1 cup of water to the pot. The liquid should not cover the pork completely; it should come about halfway up the sides of the pork.
- Cover the pot with a lid or aluminum foil and place it in the preheated oven. Allow the pork to cook for 4 hours, turning the meat halfway through, until it’s tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- Once the pork is tender, remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the pork to a clean surface and shred it using two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat.
- Increase the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C).
- Spread the shredded pork evenly on a baking sheet. Drizzle a bit of the leftover cooking liquid over the meat to keep it moist.
- Place the tray of pork back into the oven and cook for about 20-30 minutes, until the edges of the pork become crispy. Stir occasionally for even crisping.
- Warm the corn tortillas according to package instructions or by lightly heating them on a skillet over medium heat.
- To serve, place some of the crispy shredded pork on a warm tortilla. Top with diced onion and chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and additional salt to taste.
