Garlic and Jalapeno Carnitas Tacos
It has been touched on
before in the blog. These webpages have been scrawled with tales of the days of
ole when I was a super picky eater.
Seriously, Diet Coke,
Caesar salad and cheesecake were my three food groups.
I’ve always loved
Mexican food, but until I was in high school I would eat nothing but crispy
shredded beef tacos. Not chicken. Not ground beef. Not soft. Crispy. Beef.
Tacos.
And there is still a
beautiful place in my heart for my old favorite.
But these days, I find
myself craving pork carnitas more and more.
I finally decided it
was time to get in the kitchen and try my hand at this tasty shredded pork
treat.
Mexican places are
great, but they ain’t got nothing on my carnitas.
You will need…
3 ½ pounds boneless
pork shoulder (pork butt)
2 tablespoons
vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ancho
chile powder
20 unpeeled garlic
cloves
3 jalapenos, seeded
and diced
½ cup chicken stock
½ cup fresh orange
juice
Salt and pepper to
taste
8 tortillas, warmed on
the stove or grill
1 cup pineapple, diced
Your choice of
toppings (shredded jack cheese, diced tomato, diced onion, cilantro, avocado)
Start by preheating
the oven to 325 degrees.
In a roasting pan, rub
the pork down with the oil and chile powder.
Season with salt and pepper and
fill the bottom of the roasting pan with the chicken stock and roast for 1
hour.
After the hour,
scatter the pork with the garlic and jalapeno and bake for another 2 hours.
Rotating once.
Up the oven to 375
degrees F.
Chop the pork into
large chunks and then use 2 forks to pull apart the pork.
Add the shredded pork
back into the roasting pan. Remove the peals from the garlic and add it back to
the pan.
Roast for another 30
minutes until well browned and crisp.
Stir the pork and
continue to roast for a final 30 minutes.
Pour the drippings
from the pork to a medium saucepan and add in the orange juice.
Bring the juices to a
simmer over medium heat until slightly reduced. About 4 minutes.
Drizzle over the pork
and serve with pineapple, & your favorite toppings on a warmed tortilla.
Love and Beer Floats
Angela
Garlic and Jalapeno Carnitas Tacos
3 ½ pounds boneless
pork shoulder (pork butt)
2 tablespoons
vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ancho
chile powder
20 unpeeled garlic
cloves
3 jalapenos, seeded
and diced
½ cup chicken stock
½ cup fresh orange
juice
Salt and pepper to
taste
8 tortillas, warmed on
the stove or grill
1 cup pineapple, diced
Your choice of
toppings (shredded jack cheese, diced tomato, diced onion, cilantro, avocado)
Start by preheating
the oven to 325 degrees.
In a roasting pan, rub
the pork down with the oil and chile powder.
Season with salt and
pepper and fill the bottom of the roasting pan with the chicken stock and roast
for 1 hour.
After the hour,
scatter the pork with the garlic and jalapeno and bake for another 2 hours.
Rotating once.
Up the oven to 375
degrees F.
Chop the pork into
large chunks and then use 2 forks to pull apart the pork.
Add the shredded pork
back into the roasting pan. Remove the peals from the garlic and add it back to
the pan.
Roast for another 30
minutes until well browned and crisp.
Stir the pork and
continue to roast for a final 30 minutes.
Pour the drippings
from the pork to a medium saucepan and add in the orange juice.
Bring the juices to a
simmer over medium heat until slightly reduced. About 4 minutes.
Drizzle over the pork
and serve with pineapple, & your favorite toppings on a warmed tortilla.