Traci Des Jardins's Carnitas Tacos

Name: Traci Des Jardins's Carnitas Tacos
Yield: 12 to 18 tacos
Ingredients: 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder with fat; 1/4 cup lard, duck fat, or vegetable oil; 1 Negra Modela beer; 2 tangerines, quartered; 1 ounce piloncillo or brown sugar, roughly crushed; 1 dried chipotle chile; Salt and pepper; 12 to 18 small corn tortillas; 1 bag tortillas chips, preferably homemade; 1 pound tomatillos; 1 serrano chile; 1 white onion, peeled; 1 bunch cilantro, thoroughly washed; Salt; 2 ripe Hass avocados, peeled and de-seeded; 1/2 remaining cilantro, chopped; 1/4 white onion, finely minced; Juice of 4 Key limes or 2 regular limes; 1/4 finely minced serrano chile; Salt to taste, about 1 1/2 teaspoons; 1/2 white onion, finely diced; 1/4 bunch cilantro leaves, roughly cut; 1/4 serrano chile, finely minced; 5 Key limes, halved, or 2 regular limes, quartered

Pork Tacos San Francisco Bay Area Super Bowl Cinco de Mayo Mexican Dinner Party Tailgating Avocados Appetizer Beer Main Dish

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12 to 18 tacos

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Ingredients (24)

For the tacos:

4 pounds boneless pork shoulder with fat
1/4 cup lard, duck fat, or vegetable oil
1 Negra Modela beer
2 tangerines, quartered
1 ounce piloncillo or brown sugar, roughly crushed
1 dried chipotle chile
Salt and pepper
12 to 18 small corn tortillas
1 bag tortillas chips, preferably homemade

For the salsa verde:

1 pound tomatillos
1 serrano chile
1 white onion, peeled
1 bunch cilantro, thoroughly washed
Salt

For the guacamole:

2 ripe Hass avocados, peeled and de-seeded
1/2 remaining cilantro, chopped
1/4 white onion, finely minced
Juice of 4 Key limes or 2 regular limes
1/4 finely minced serrano chile
Salt to taste, about 1 1/2 teaspoons

To garnish:

1/2 white onion, finely diced
1/4 bunch cilantro leaves, roughly cut
1/4 serrano chile, finely minced
5 Key limes, halved, or 2 regular limes, quartered

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Nutritional Information

Calories567
Fat35.52g
Saturated fat9.16g
Trans fat0.04g
Carbs39.13g
Fiber6.73g
Sugar6.32g
Protein25.14g
Cholesterol85.88mg
Sodium691.51mg
Nutritional Analysis per serving (15 servings) Powered by

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How to Freeze Pork

Pork fares best in the freezer if packaged with freezer-friendly materials like waxed paper, aluminum foil, or heavy-duty plastic bags. Wrap any meat tightly so that air does not escape and freeze at 0°F. Generally, fresh cuts of pork can last up to six months, while ground pork can last up to three.

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How to Thaw Pork

Pork is easiest to thaw when placed in the refrigerator in its original wrapping. Small roasts will take three to five hours per pound, while larger roasts can take up to seven hours per pound. Thawing ground pork depends entirely on the thickness of its packaging.

It is safe to cook frozen or partially-frozen pork, but its cooking time may take 50 percent longer. Frozen pork should not be cooked in a slow cooker.

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How to Store Pork

Sealed pork products can typically last in the fridge for two to four days, with ground pork having a slightly shorter shelf life at one to three. Ham or other smoked pork products like bacon can be stored for up to a week, though this only applies to products that aren’t vacuum sealed or prepared with preservatives. The latter can obviously last a lot longer.

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San Francisco Bay Area chef/restaurateur Traci Des Jardins shares the recipe for one of her favorite party dishes; plus recipes for her salsa verde and guacamole! Serve these tacos at your next Super Bowl party, or just as a simple weeknight meal.

by Traci Des Jardins

Instructions

For the tacos:

1Remove the outside fat from the meat and cut the fat into strips 1 inch x 1/4 × 1/4.
2Cut the meat into 3 × 3 × 3 inch chunks, you do not need precisely this size, roughly.
3Place the lard or oil into a sauté pan and heat over medium high heat. When the oil is hot add the fat pieces and stir with a wooden spoon. Allow to cook over medium to medium high heat, they should be at a slow sizzle. Allow to brown slowly, over a 7 to 10 minute period, the oil should not be smoking hot. Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove the fat from the pan when it is golden brown and crispy, retire to a paper towel to drain and season with salt.
4Thoroughly salt the pork pieces and place into the hot fat. Cook over medium high heat and brown on all sides until a deep golden brown, probably about 15 minutes.
5When deep golden brown on all sides, turn the pan off and wait for 5 minutes. Open the beer and take a big swig and then add the bottle to the pan. Add the tangerines, piloncillo, and chipotle chile, bring to a simmer and cover. Cook at a low simmer on the stovetop or in a 250 degree oven for about 2 hours, or until falling apart.

For the salsa verde:

1Remove the husks from the tomatillos and discard. Wash the tomatillos in warm water to remove the film on them. Roughly chop 1/2 of the serrano chile, reserve other half for guacamole. Roughly chop 1/4 of the white onion. Cut 2 inches of the stem off of the cilantro and discard. Then cut the bunch in half. Reserve the leaves for garnish.
2Place the tomatillos in a blender and blend to smooth. Add the onion, serrano and the stem half of the cilantro and blend to smooth, add salt to taste, about 1 1/2 tablespoons. Place into a bowl.

For the guacamole:

1Place the avocados in a mortar or a mixing bowl. Crush with a pestle or a pastry cutter or potato masher or a fork. Add the lemon juice and salt and mix well, add the onion and cilantro, taste for seasoning.