Pork Carnitas Recipe for Tacos de Carnitas - Mexican Slow Cooked Pulled Pork Tacos
This easy pork carnitas recipe for tacos de carnitas makes the mouthwatering Mexican slow-cooked pulled pork tacos, but this melt-in-your-mouth pork is also fantastic on tostadas, tortas, burritos, quesadillas and more. Carnitas means ‘little meats’ and the pork is slow-braised until so juicy and tender it easily falls apart. The heat is then increased to get crispy bits of pork for delicious contrasts of texture and flavour. Make a big batch so you have leftovers.
Servings: 8
Calories: 316kcal
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg pork shoulder (‘pork butt’), cut into 5 cm (2 inch) chunks
- ½ cup orange juice
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp black pepper ground coarsely
To Serve
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 big bowl freshly-made guacamole recipe
- 1 bowl tomatillo salsa
- 1 cup coriander fresh, no stems
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 165°C (330°F).
- Add the meat to a Dutch oven. Add all the dry ingredient to the pork. Pour over the orange juice and mix thoroughly.
- Cover with foil and cook for 2 hours before checking. There should be plenty of liquid and fat around the pork. Add additional orange juice if necessary.
- Cover again and cook for another hour and test. When ready, the meat should be able to be shredded with two forks. If it's not at that stage and is still has a 'bouncy' texture, cook for another hour.
- When ready, we now need to crispen up the pork. You can cook it uncovered in the oven for 20 minutes on 180°C (355°F) or you can do it on the stovetop.
- Serve family style with warm corn tortillas, guacamole, tomatillo salsa, a few sprigs of fresh coriander (cilantro) and beer.
Nutrition
Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 737mg | Potassium: 1765mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1857IU | Vitamin C: 176mg | Calcium: 427mg | Iron: 15mg