Pork Carnitas Tacos

Pork Carnitas Tacos

Ingredients:

• boneless pork shoulder (about 1½ lbs)
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp Mexican oregano
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp cumin
• ¼ tsp cayenne
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 serrano pepper, minced
• ½ cup orange juice
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• avocado or olive oil
• 10 homemade tortillas
• salsa or hot sauce, if desired
• cotija cheese, if desired

Instructions:

1. To make the rub, mix together brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, mexican oregano, black pepper, salt, cumin, and cayenne.
2. Remove netting from pork roast. Coat well with rub mixture. Place in a slow cooker and place onion, garlic, and serrano pepper on top. Pour orange juice and vinegar over the roast. Cover and cook on high for 6-7 hours, or until roast can easily be shredded with a fork.*
3. Remove the juices from the pan, and skim fat off the top.
4. At this point, the pork and juices may be refrigerated separately in sealed containers, or you may continue on to step 5.
5. In a cast iron skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil over medium high heat. Working in batches, place pork in a single layer in the skillet. Spoon some of the reserved juices over the meat and fry until crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Flip and sear the other side for 1 minute. Remove to a bowl and repeat, adding oil to the skillet as needed, until all carnitas are cooked.
6. Divide carnitas between all of the tortillas. Top with salsa and crumbled cotija cheese. Enjoy!

*If using a pressure cooker, cook pork on high for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then quick-release any additional pressure before opening. Continue the recipe with step 4 or 5.

Serves 2-3

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