Pork Carnitas Tacos Recipe
cucumber, pickled jalapeños, onions, salsa verde, crema
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Ingredients
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Carnitas
Pickles & Toppings
Salsa & Crema
Tortillas & Serving
Method
Carnitas
- 1
Season pork
Pat pork cubes dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss pork with kosher salt, black pepper, ground cumin, and dried oregano until evenly coated.
- 2
Sear (optional, for color)
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear pork cubes until browned on all sides, about 6-8 minutes per batch. Transfer seared pork to a plate.
- 3
Combine for braise
Lower heat to medium. Add the quartered yellow onion and smashed garlic to the pot and sauté for 2 minutes to release aromatics. Return pork to pot. Add bay leaves, orange juice, lime juice, and chicken/pork stock. The liquid should come about halfway up the meat — add up to 1/2 cup more stock or water if necessary.
- 4
Braise
Bring liquid to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 2 to 2.5 hours, or until pork is fork-tender and shreds easily. Alternatively, braise in a 300°F (150°C) oven for the same time.
- 5
Shred and reduce
Carefully remove pork pieces from the pot and shred with two forks, discarding bay leaves and any large pieces of fat. Skim or spoon off excess fat from the braising liquid. Return shredded pork to the pot with about 1/2 cup of the braising liquid and bring to a gentle boil to reduce and concentrate flavor for 5–8 minutes.
- 6
Crisp the carnitas
Preheat oven broiler or heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Spread shredded pork in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet (for broiler) or in the hot skillet. If broiler: broil 4–6 minutes until edges are crisp, stir/flip meat, then broil another 3–5 minutes to get additional crisp bits. If skillet: let pork sit without stirring until bottom crisps, then stir to crisp other bits. Remove when a mix of tender and crispy pieces form.
Pickles & Toppings
- 7
Prepare cucumber and jalapeños
Thinly slice the cucumber. If pickled jalapeños are jarred, drain and slice into rings if not already sliced. Combine cucumber and half of the sliced pickled jalapeños in a small bowl. Lightly toss to combine; set aside to let flavors mingle while pork finishes.
- 8
Chop onion and cilantro
Finely chop white onion and roughly chop cilantro. Place in small bowls for assembly. Reserve remaining pickled jalapeños for topping.
Salsa & Crema
- 9
Make lime crema
In a small bowl, whisk together Mexican crema (or sour cream), lime zest, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth. Taste and adjust salt or add a squeeze of lime if you want more acidity. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or small bowl for easy drizzling.
- 10
Warm salsa
If you prefer salsa warm, gently heat the salsa verde in a small saucepan over low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Otherwise, leave salsa at room temperature.
Tortillas & Assembly
- 11
Warm tortillas
Wrap corn tortillas in a slightly damp kitchen towel and microwave for 30–45 seconds, or warm them in a dry skillet over medium heat 20–30 seconds per side until pliable. Keep wrapped to stay warm.
- 12
Assemble tacos
Place 1–2 heaping tablespoons of crisped carnitas on each warmed tortilla. Top with a pinch of chopped white onion, a few cucumber slices, a spoonful of salsa verde, a drizzle of lime crema, and 2–3 slices of pickled jalapeño. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and crumbled cotija if using. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
- 13
Serve
Serve immediately while the carnitas are hot and crisp. Provide extra salsa verde, crema, pickled jalapeños, and lime wedges at the table for guests to customize.