Carnitas are the main dish of Mexican tradition and are used to fill tacos and other dishes. They are usually prepared with the least expensive cuts of pork and the cooking method makes them so soft that they melt in the mouth; they can be served with many side dishes. This article provides instructions for how to make carnitas in the oven.
Ingrediants
- 2 kg of pork shoulder, boned and skinless.
- 4 fresh "serrano" chillies
- 1 medium white onion
- 4 peeled garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons of dried coriander
- 1 tablespoon of cumin powder
- Salt and pepper
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Prepare the Ingredients
Step 1. Prepare the onion, garlic and chillies
Put them on a dry and clean surface. Peel the onion and cut it into 4 parts, divide the chillies in half and crush the garlic cloves with the flat part of a kitchen knife. Set the vegetables aside while you prepare the pork.
Step 2. Cut the pork shoulder
Use a sharp knife and cut it into strips about 5cm long and 2.5cm wide. Do not remove the fat; during cooking it will melt and make the meat very tender.
If you prefer to cook the meat all together, that's fine. Skip this step and go straight to the next instructions, using the whole pork shoulder
Step 3. Combine the meat with the spices
Put the meat in a bowl and cover it with the spices. Use tongs or your hands to turn and turn the meat until it is completely covered. Add salt and pepper to your taste.
- You can be creative when it comes to spices. If you like strong flavors you can add ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- Don't skimp on the salt; you can put up to 2 tsp.
Method 2 of 3: Cook the Carnitas
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C
Step 2. Brown the pork
Put a heavy saucepan on the stove. Put a couple of teaspoons of oil and heat over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the pork. Cook it on both sides until golden. Use pliers to turn it.
- Don't overcook it. It just needs to brown and release the flavor.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat when the meat is ready.
Step 3. Add the vegetables to the pot
Arrange them around the meat so that they come into contact with the bottom of the pot. Add 2.5-5cm of water and cover the pot.
Step 4. Cook the carnitas
Put the pot in the oven and cook for 4 hours. Check the cooking from time to time to make sure the meat does not dry out or burn. Remove the pot from the heat when the carnitas are soft and can be pierced with a fork.
- If you want to cook carnitas in an electric pot like a "slow cooker" you can do it by transferring both the meat and the vegetables and then cooking them at a high temperature for 4 hours or at a low temperature for 8 hours.
- If the carnitas seem to dry during cooking, add ½ cup of water.
- Do not remove the carnitas until they are completely tender; cooking them for a shorter time will make the meat tough.
Method 3 of 3: Serve the Carnitas
Step 1. Serve the carnitas as a main dish
Place them on a plate with a bed of lettuce, diced tomato, a wedge of lime, cilantro and sliced onion. Bring them to the table with warm tortillas and sour cream.
Step 2. Make carnitas tacos
Fill the tacos cylinders or soft tortilla tacos with two full spoonfuls of carnitas. Add some salsa to your liking, some guacamole, lettuce, cotija cheese and black beans.
Step 3. Make the enchiladas
Fill the tortillas with the carnitas, then roll them up and line them up on the bottom of a large baking sheet. Place red or green enchiladas sauce and grated cheese on top of the rolls. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with lettuce and sour cream.
Advice
- You can replace the pork shoulder with the head or the ribs, in true country style. A more expensive cut of meat is not necessary and too lean meat makes browning a more difficult process as you would have to add more fat to brown the meat well.
- If you can't find cotija cheese, you can use gruyere or Swiss cheese.
- Prepare the guacamole sauce at the last moment to ensure its consistency and flavor. Rice and beans will have more flavor if prepared the day before.
