I really hope I never have to make the difficult decision of choosing between tacos or all things dough. If I can’t have both in my life…is life even worth living? Well, it would be a sad place indeed.
I confess I am a pork loving fool. Not only is it delicious but it’s so versatile and can be used in so many different recipes. It’s also typically less expensive than most cuts of beef and usually less expensive than chicken as well.
One of the best ways to use a nice pork roast is to make carnitas. It can be used in tacos, burritos, nachos and even in sandwiches.
Use extra Carnitas in one of my all time favorites, Sheet Pan Quesadillas. Extra Carnitas are awesome in Oven Baked Nachos too. Carnitas are such a versatile protein that can be used in so many recipes. Use it in just about any recipe that calls for shredded pork or chicken. Today I’m cooking up a batch to use for some really tasty tacos for Taco Tuesday night and I’m planning to use leftovers for some barbecued pork sliders tomorrow.
To prepare pork:
Place pork shoulder in a large stock pot or dutch oven.
Add diced onions, garlic, oregano, basil, cumin, salt, pepper and bay leaf to the pot.
Pour in enough water to cover pork roast.
Bring water to a boil.
Cover and reduce heat to low and maintain a good simmer. Simmer, covered for 3-3½ hours. Meat is done when it falls off the bone and shreds easily.
Slow cooker method: This can easily be made in your slow cooker instead of on the stove. Place all the ingredients in a large slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until meat is tender and shreds easily.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
After cooking pork on the stove, carefully remove the meat and shred it. Discard bay leaf.
Place shredded pork in an even layer onto a foil lined cookie sheet. Spoon some of the broth from the pot onto the shredded pork. The fat will add moisture and flavor to the meat.
Spread the shredded meat out into an even layer and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until meat is well browned. You want some crispy pieces and some soft pieces.
Remove from the oven and remove excess pieces fat if desired.
So what am I going to do with all that lovely shredded pork? Make tacos of course!!! Years ago a coworker taught me the best way to fry corn tortillas for taco shells. Once my family got a taste of them I could no longer get away with serving up plain old ordinary hard shells heated in the oven anymore. The secret to what makes these taco shells so flipping good? Adding a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese right after frying them.
They are well worth the few minutes it takes to fry them up. Just trust me on this one!
Heat about an ¼ inch of oil in a skillet.
When the oil is hot, place a tortilla in the pan and cook for 30 seconds.
Flip the tortilla over and fold it in half. Fry until lightly toasted about 1½ minutes per side. Don’t over cook them or they will get tough.
Remove tortillas to a paper towel lined platter and sprinkle generously with grated Parmesan cheese. Don’t skip this last step! It takes ordinary taco shells and turns them into extraordinary taco shells!
I got so excited for dinner, I totally forgot to take pictures for cooking up the taco shells.
Time to eat!!! Place a generous amount of pork in one of your wonderfully fried taco shells and top with your favorite toppings and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
A HUGE SHOUT OUT and THANK YOU to Steven Montano who posted this wonderful recipe in one of the numerous food and recipe groups I follow on Facebook. It’s such an easy method for cooking up a nice big batch of carnitas and it’s so stinking good!
Leftover Makeover: Make barbecued pork sliders by adding your favorite barbecue sauce to leftover shredded pork and reheat in the oven or microwave. Serve on rolls. Nom-nom-nom!!!
Barbecued pork sliders pair well with this easy to make dreamy, creamy Coleslaw. Or how about serving those sliders with this Marvelous Macaroni Salad? Who says leftovers have to be boring? Round two can be just as delicious as the first round!!!
Carnitas de Puerco
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
For Carnitas:
- 5 lb pork shoulder roast
- water as needed
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-4 cloves garlic, smashed
For Taco Shells:
- 10-12 corn tortillas
- ½ cup vegetable oil, for frying tortillas
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Toppings:
- lettuce or cabbage, thinly shredded
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup diced onion
- ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup salsa
- 1 ripe Avocado, diced
- 2 limes, quartered
Instructions
Prepare pork:
- Place pork shoulder in a large stock pot or dutch oven.
- Add diced onions, garlic, oregano, basil, cumin, salt, pepper and bay leaf to the pot.
- Pour in enough water to cover pork roast.
- Cover and bring water to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and maintain a good simmer. Simmer, covered for 3-3½ hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- After cooking pork on the stove, carefully remove the meat and place it on a foil lined cookie sheet.
- Remove bone and shred the pork meat leaving the fat in the pan. The fat will add moisture and flavor to the meat.
- Spread the shredded meat out into an even layer and bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes or until meat is well browned.
- Remove from the oven and remove any excess fat if desired.
Fry tortillas:
- Heat ¼ inch of oil in a skillet.
- When oil is hot, place a tortilla in the pan and cook for 30 seconds.
- Flip tortill over and fold in half. Fry until lightly toasted about 1½ minutes per side.
- Remove tortillas to a paper towel lined platter and sprinkle generously with grated Parmesan cheese.
Assemble tacos:
- To serve, place a generous amount of pork in a tortilla shell and top with your favorite toppings and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Did You Make This?
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