We have been eating a lot of pork lately! The way I decide what to make usually goes like this… Jackie procrastinates by perusing food blogs and food magazines… Jackie is sucked in by some yummy looking food photos or tasty food description… Jackie obsesses over this recipe for the rest of the day/week until Jackie can procure the ingredients and get to cookin’… And that’s how I found myself salivating over these crispy, fatty carnitas tacos topped with spicy slaw and fresh avocado! I’ve actually made these tacos before, about three years ago, right when James and I first met. He was away in London visiting family when I made them, and I remember sending him a picture of my finished product, extraordinarily proud of the flavor and tenderness I’d coaxed from the pork meat. He sent back a sad face emoji, and some complaint along the lines of “why you making such delicious food without me?!” and I knew it was true love, because he knew that the way to my heart was endless praise of my cooking.
Now, I’ve finally gotten around to making these again, this time with James in the country, and they were every bit as good as I remember. The pork simmers down flavorful and succulent, with the citrus adding a bright, zesty zing to complement the richness of the meat. The slaw is crunchy, fresh, and spicy from the onions and serrano peppers. It’s a refreshing topping for the tacos, but I also add another scoopful as a side and eat it all on its own.
These carnitas focus on a few, quality ingredients. Use fresh everything (don’t even think about bottled lime juice), and let them cook slowly. The meat braises in the water bath to tenderize, and then, once the water cooks off, it fries in its own rendered fat, resulting in crisp, browned edges. The carnitas need a long time to cook, but other than the time factor, they are relatively hands off. The slaw is fairly easy as well (if requiring a blender or food processor), so you can easily get other Sunday jobs done while checking in on the kitchen every once in a while. You could, conceivably, even make these on a weeknight if you can get off early from work, are somehow incredibly masochistic, and don’t mind eating dinner after 8 PM. How do I know? Confession – I did exactly that. I meant to make these on Sunday, but was having too much fun, or napping too much, or went out to watch BlacKkKlansman (YES!! Please watch this movie – it’s amazing!), or… something, and didn’t manage to make any dinner that day. Oops. Anyway, this is a roundabout way of saying that I made these on a weeknight (because I could not stop my obsession – see above), but no sane person should.
However, for the chilly fall Sunday that will inevitably pop up, when the sky outside is grey and dark, these tacos will bring all the color and cheer of the tropics into your kitchen. This recipe is also great for a dinner party, as it makes a ton of tacos with relatively minimal effort from you. I’d say the carnitas recipe would make enough for at least 12 tacos, as written; I see no reason why you couldn’t also scale the recipe up. The slaw recipe will definitely provide enough slaw to dress 12 tacos, with likely also a scoop for everyone on the side. Warm some tortillas, add some avocado slices, chopped cilantro, onion, and tada! Taco parties are the best parties.
Carnitas Tacos
Source: Smitten Kitchen, where it was adapted from The Homesick Texan Cookbook
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 to 3 limes)
- 4+ cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (I think I used maybe 7?)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- For serving: Green onion cabbage slaw (recipe below), corn tortillas, avocado slices, chopped cilantro, or other fixings of your choice
Instructions
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Place the pork in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot. Add the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, salt, and enough water to just barely cover the meat. Most of the meat should be covered, but it's okay if the tips stick out - they will still cook in the steam. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for two hours. Don’t touch the meat.
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After two hours, increase the heat to medium-high. Occasionally stirring and turning the pieces of meat, continue to cook for about 45 minutes, or until all of the liquid has evaporated, leaving only the rendered pork fat. Let the meat sizzle in this fat until it browns at the edges, turning pieces gently (to prevent them from falling apart) to brown the other side.
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When pork has browned on both sides, it’s done. Add seasonings to taste, if necessary. Serve on warmed tortillas with a scoop of slaw and desired fixings.
Green Onion Cabbage Slaw
Source: Smitten Kitchen, where it was adapted from Bobby Flay
Ingredients
- 1 cup green onions, coarsely chopped (I used about 1 1/2 bunches)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 serrano chiles
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 head purple cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves (I upped the cilantro because I love cilantro; for less cilantro flavor, use 1/4 cup)
Instructions
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Blend green onions, vinegar, chiles, mayonnaise, oil, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor until emulsified. Place cabbage and red onions in a bowl, add the dressing, and toss until combined. Fold in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Recipe Notes
The purple cabbage is hardy, and thus holds up fairly well to the dressing. We ate slaw that had already been dressed the second day as leftovers, and it wasn't too watery or soggy. However, the flavor and crunch is always best if you mix the cabbage/onions and dressing together just before serving, and mix just enough for the meal of that day.