Carnitas and Tacos

By vealam

I love meat unabashedly. This isn’t to say I’m eating steak every night of the week. Like a lot of people, my diet is vegetarian for the greater part of the day, at least up until dinner. That’s when my inner carnivore comes out and craves the wholeness that meat provides. Call it my ultimate comfort food? (My mom used to joke that my love for meat was due to the fact that I was born in the year of the tiger—a Chinese zodiac thing) Chris and I like to consume it in slivers and bits, shredded sometimes, ground other times. Which is why tacos are my ideal food.

Ingredients

• For the tacos:
• 4 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 2″ pieces
• 3 cups cold water
• 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 orange, preferably seedless, cut into 2 wedges
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or lard, if you’re so inclined)
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
• 3 to 4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• Small corn tortillas
• Salsa
• Chopped onion
• Chopped cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Sliced radishes
• Pickled jalapenos/carrots

Details

Adapted from thetarttart.com

Preparation

Step 1

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot (oven-proof preferably), and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the contents is simmering vigorously (medium to medium-low), and skim the scum that floats to the surface. Continue simmering for 1.5 to 2 hours, until the meat is tender and the liquid has evaporated. Stir occasionally, especially towards the end. If the meat’s sticking, you might need to reduce the heat to low to cook off the rest the liquid. About half an hour before the liquid has evaporated, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

If you’re using an oven-proof pot, slide it into the oven. Otherwise, transfer the meat to an ovenproof dish before placing it in the oven. Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, uncovered, until the meat has browned.

Before serving, shred the meat with a couple forks.