I live in the Bay Area and have had these types of tacos a zillion times (carne asada are probably my favorite, I admit). Never did I know to use both tortillas separately when I ate them! Always wondered why there were two... tee hee! Thanks for the great recipe. Can't wait to try this one at home. Hubby will love it. Love the site. Keep up the fantastic work!!!!!

¡Delicioso! ¡Y fácil hacer! Best part? Pork shoulder is muy barato ($3-4/lb?). Another nice garnish is small dice white onion, marinated in lime juice and cilantro. Between this and a steak taco recipe I just tried, I'll be opening up my own taqueria by early 2007. Any investors?

I've made these with green salsa as well and they are REALLY good. I trim a little of the fat, but the marbling on a roast really helps the carmelization process, so leave some on!

For those who don't eat pork, would this same method work for beef? And if so, which cut of meat would you use? Thanks....

My family makes Carnitas every year on Christmas Eve. Our recipe is very different however from the one you posted. We cook ours in a slower cooker. Just put all the following in the pot and cook for 6 to 8 hours on low.

- 4 + lbs pork butt
- Several bottles of mexican beer, enough to almost cover the meat (we use Corona)
- 1 jalapeno- cut in half
- 2 limes- cut in half (juiced over the meat)
- cilantro (I love cilantro, so I use a lot, but you can use as much or as little at you like)
- several garlic cloves halved
- salt and pepper

The meat will be fork tender when done. We shred our pork instead of cubbing it and mix the shredded meat back in the pot with a small amount of the cooking liquid remaining to help keep it moist.

We serve the same way as your post mentioned.

What a simple and lovely way to make carnitas! I've seen recipes where it is braised and then deep fried and I just can't imagine doing that at home, but this sounds wonderful and doable.

Plus, your photography is so excellent. I haven't eaten lunch yet, so just looking at the picture is making my stomach growl. :)

Growing up in East Los Angeles, I've sampled a lot of carnitas. All of the receipes that I've heard from chefs that would share their technique involve having the pork cooked in lard. It's not fried but simmered in a roasting pan with rendered pork fat. Carnitas to me is Mexican Pork Confit. However, Googling "Carnitas" shows that most sites show your method the prevalent one. Maybe it's a regional thing.

Starting these right now, Elise. Perfect recipe for an informal Christmas get together tonight with our dear friends from Manteca (that's a town, not a bucket of lard).

I had the most divine carnitas in San Antonio a couple of months ago -- marinated in orange juice so they were quite sweet. YUM!

Although the recipes sound delicious, what about the marination in Coca-Cola? With the othe spices, the cola gives the balance and of course the slight sweet bite for the crispy exterior. Mouth watering--I promise.
Since my husband's family is from Jalisco it is the way it is mostly done in that area of Mexico.
Merry Christmas, Laurel

This looks delicious, Elise I look forward to trying it. The method with the meat reminds me of a recipe a Japanese friend gave me for her very moreish beef nibbles:

Kudoh-san's Beef Nibbles

500g (about 1 pound) skirt steak
Place in cold water, bring to boil, boil about 20mins, drain, shred.

In frypan caramelize:

1/2 cup Japanese soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp chicken stock powder
1 Tbsp hot curry powder
a few grinds of pepper
a little water

Add shredded meat threads and coat with sauce.

Spread sauce coated meat out in an oven proof container and dry in 100deg C (approx 200 deg F) oven for 30 minutes, turning meat occassionally.

This sounds a lot healthier than the way I usually make carnitas--cooking the pork in a pot full of simmering lard for several hours. Thanks for providing an alternative! And gorgeous photo!

Another great recipe, Elise. I also prefer to pull the pork to shreds before the carmelizing roast. Now bring us a killer Al Pastor recipe, ¡por favor! You're batting two for two on slow cooked pork butt recipes, dear!

Great Pork Recipe Elise! Nice recipe change from beef or chicken.

Lydia
Below is a recipe for beef Carne asada . Not the same cooking method as Elise's yummy pork A college classmate cooked the beef at a party. Big hit no one wanted to eat anything else at the potluck.

Linda

2 pounds flank or skirt steak
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Marinade:
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
1 large handful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped (great flavor in the stems)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup olive oil

1 Lay the flank steak in a large bowl or baking dish. Combine marinade ingredients and pour the marinade over the steak. Make sure each piece is well coated. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-4 hours

2 Preheat your grill over medium-high flame (you can also use a cast iron grill pan on high heat for stove-top cooking). Brush the grates with a little oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Remove the steak from the marinade. If you are cooking indoors, you may want to brush off excess marinade as the bits may burn and smoke on the hot pan. Season both sides of the steak pieces with salt and pepper. Grill the pieces for a few minutes only, on each side, depending on how thinly sliced they are, until medium rare to well done, to your preference. You may need to work in batches. Remove the steak pieces to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak across the grain on a diagonal.

Great recipe. Thank you for this.

RE: (discard the liquid)

We strained the liquid and made a spectacular posole with the leftover carnitas and some additions.

best.posole.ever.

Yummm!!!

The Mexican restaurant where I used to work marinated their pork butt in a combination of Corona and orange juice. Then they'd slow simmer it for a couple hours, shred it, and fry it up in lard. It was so tender it'd melt in your mouth!!

The double layer of corn tortilla was muy importante - the carnitas were so moist they'd soak right through a single one!

I made your pork carnitas tacos for dinner tonight and they were excellent. The only problem was that I've never dealt with a pork shoulder before and the one I bought had bones and skin, like enough skin to make a football out of, but I managed to hack enough meat off of it to cook. I have a happy husband tonight.

We had it tonight and it was great - the youngest, I-don't-eat-anything-with-taste, even liked it. I served it with corn tortillas, lime & tomato salsa, avacadoes, and black beans. I'm delighted that there will be leftovers for lunch (or two).

My husband is a HUGE carnitas fan. I made this dish yesterday for him. He declared it the best meal he's had all year. (And I am a damn good cook!) When I first told him I'd found a carnitas recipe I wanted to try on him he said "You have to use my Mom's recipe. Don't mess with the carnitas!" Your recipe was declared the best and I have to agree. Ridiculously simple for the cook and makes the house smell great for hours. Didn't hurt that I made the pico de gallo from our cherry tomatoes from the garden, either. Thanks!! I'm loving your site!

Last Wednesday I made the carnitas again, doubling the recipe to feed a larger crowd and ensuring leftovers. This morning we have just made and devoured "carnitas hash" using your ham and potato hash recipe. We fried eggs and served them on top of the hash. OMG!
I find it all gets crispier if you disturb the pan contents as little as possible once the potatoes go in. You get a nice crust on the potatoes that way. I am delighted to find another delicious use for carnitas!! Thanks for the inspiration, Elise.

I made these on Saturday night for a dinner party and they were fantastic!!! Thanks so much for the recipe! This is my new favorite site!!!

Made these this evening for my kiddos - delicioso! I also used a bone-in shoulder and doubled the fixins the meat is cooked in. Any ideas on what to do with all the leftover broth? It's thick and delicious, thought about making beans and throwing them in it. I'd love suggestions!

Hey, also James, post your recipe for best.posole.ever. I love posole for breakfast.

I use shredded cabbage instead of lettuce for all tacos. There's no taste difference, it's crunchier and lasts longer in the fridge for leftovers.

This recipe is from Whole Foods and is, so far, my favorite. I will try the above recipes also. Thanks. I like to serve mine with sour cream, lettuce, tomato, olives and green onion and flour tortillas. Everyone has different tastes. I've left out the Pico de Gallo recipe and the tortilla recipe but included the web site address of you want to see the other recipes. Enjoy! Yumm.

These delicious carnitas tacos call for pork flavored with garlic, cumin and jalapeño, which is then simmered in orange and lime juices until it is fall-apart tender. To recreate a Mexican roadside taco stand experience, serve with hand-made corn tortillas, fresh pico de gallo, crisp green cabbage, and creamy avocado.

Serves 6 to 8

3 lbs boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch pieces (or buy pre-cut pork stew meat)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1–2 jalapeños, minced (optional)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TB olive oil
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup chicken stock

Transfer to roasting pan and add orange juice, lime juice and chicken stock. Cover tightly (you don't want to lose the steam from a loose fitting lid) and place in oven for 2 to 2-1/2 hours, until meat is very tender. If juices cook out, add more chicken stock.

Allow pork to cool and absorb the remaining juices. Shred meat with a fork.

I've had this recipe saved for so long -- I can't wait to make these. Perhaps this weekend!

Most of our midweek "quick tacos" just use shredded chicken cooked with whatever we have on hand -- tomatillos, salsa, onions, etc.