Tacos La Playita Carnitas Recipe

I think it was our second or third date when we went for the first time. We had just gotten off work and me in my chef pants and him in his pressed waiter shirt sat on the railroad tracks that ran alongside the taco truck and ate our oversized burritos, juice running down our wrists. I don’t think either of us spoke, only stopping to take sips of Jarritos in between bites.

I don’t actually know how they made their carnitas, but I’d like to think this is very close. Juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Full of spice and salt and fat and really not very hard to pull off.

This dish really relies on the deep intense flavor of the pork so get a nice fatty piece of fresh pork butt also known as Boston butt or pork shoulder. Then cut it into a few large chunks and rub it with lots of Mexican oregano and crushed bay leaves. It is best to do this at least one day or up to three days in advance and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator. If you cover it with plastic wrap, or seal it in a bag the salt will draw out moisture from the pork and become wet. If left uncovered it will stay dry (except where it touches the plate or tray it’s on) and form a better crust as it browns.

Braise the pork with coriander, a cinnamon stick, and ancho chile powder until very tender. Remove the pork from the cooking liquid and when cool enough to handle shred or chop the meat into bite-sized pieces.

Let the cooking liquid cook down until most of the water has evaporated and the rendered fat coats the bottom of the pot. Fry the meat in this seasoned fat until crispy on the outside and meltingly tender on the inside.

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Tacos La Playita Carnitas

Yield: 6-8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Brining Time: 2 days

Total Time: 2 days 3 hours 40 minutes

Authentic carnitas recipe, just like they make at the taco truck.

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Ingredients

• 4 pounds pork butt
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. Cut the pork butt into 6 or 7 large pieces. Combine salt, pepper, bay leaves and oregano in a small bowl then sprinkle over the pork on all sides, using all the seasoning mixture. This step is best done 1 or even 2 days in advance. Leave uncovered in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2. When you are ready to cook, remove pork from the oven 1 hour in advance. Heat lard in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add pork (in batches if necessary, don't crowd the pan) and brown pork on all sides, about 5-8 minutes per side.
3. Add remaining ingredients to the pot, then add enough water to cover three-quarters of the way up the side of the pork. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, turning occasionally until pork is pierced easily with a fork, about 3 hours.
4. Remove pork from pot, leaving liquid simmering on the stove. When pork is cool enough to touch, shred or cut into bite-sized pieces. Return pork to pot and raise the heat to medium-high. Continue cooking until almost all the liquid has evaporated and all that is left is the rendered fat. Turn the heat to low and fry meat, stirring frequently until edges are crispy and well-browned.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 658Total Fat: 48gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 198mgSodium: 624mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 53g

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