Traci Des Jardins's Carnitas 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
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
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.
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.