Seems like I have and endless list of recipes that are basically pork wrapped in a tortilla, and here we go again. You may remember the East Coast Carnitas recipe which was the basic Mexican version highly influenced by Puerto Rican and Cuban cuisine. Or you may remember Chilorio which was pork cooked in a similar method but with a more rustic, earthy flavor. This recipe completes the carnita trinity.

Old School Carnitas are much closer to what you may get from a street vendor in Mexico, with a few life saving modifications. No lard. Not that I am getting all healthy on you guys, it’s just that simmering the pork in lard produces a moist and crispy product but we can achieve the same results without it and add a few years to our lives.

I made homemade chipotle en adobe sauce but you can use the store bought version. The advantage of homemade is the aroma tends to be more smokey, giving the sauces flavor more depth. For the ultimate experience, make your own corn or flour tortillas then eat your tacos while standing in a busy street.

INGREDIENTS:

For the chipotles en adobo sauce

• 12 chipotle chiles, stemmed and sliced in half lengthwise
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 6 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon kosher saly

For the carnitas

• 4 – 6 lb boneless  pork butt, cut into 2 inch chunks 
• 1 large yellow onion, quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 5 or 6 chipotles en adobo, roughly chopped with 3 tablespoons of the sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 – 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Toppings suggestions

• salsa fresca (recipe found here)
• grated cotija cheese
• diced white onion
• fresh cilantro
• Mexican crema (or sour cream)
• fresh lime wedges to squeeze onto tacos

PREPARATION:

For the chipotles en adobo sauce

Put all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook for about 45 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to a somewhat thick consistency. This makes more than you will need for the carnitas but just do a search of this blog and you will find dozens of uses for the leftover amount.

For the carnitas

1. Place everything in a large stock pot except the oil. The chicken broth should cover the pork but if it doesn’t, just add water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a slow simmer and cook uncovered for about 3 hours or until most of the liquid is cooked away and (IMPORTANT) the meat is literally falling apart.

2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer just the meat from the pot to a baking sheet a drizzle the oil over the pork. Toss the meat to coat and roast for about 10 – 15 minutes or until the pork starts to get just a bit crispy. Serve with tortillas and any or all of the topping suggested above. Now go build your tacos.

Serves a crowd

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