Carnitas Street Tacos with Smoky Tomato Salsa

Allergens

Gluten (if using gluten-free tortillas), Dairy (for lime crema)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1
• inch cubes
• 2 cups orange juice
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 12 small corn tortillas
• 2 cups smoky tomato salsa
• 1/2 cup lime crema
• Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large pot, combine pork shoulder, orange juice, white vinegar, brown sugar, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir well to coat the meat evenly. Bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours or until the pork is tender and falls apart easily.
3. Preheat a grill or griddle to medium high heat. Remove the pork from the liquid, discarding any excess fat. Place the pork on the grill and cook until browned and slightly crispy, about 2 minutes per side.
4. Transfer the cooked pork back into the cooking liquid to keep warm.
5. Warm the corn tortillas on the grill for 30 seconds on each side.
6. To assemble, place a few pieces of carnitas on each tortilla and top with smoky tomato salsa, lime crema, and fresh cilantro leaves.

Chef’s Insight

The key to perfect carnitas is slow-cooking the pork until it's tender and flavorful.

Notes

For an even more intense smoky flavor, you can add a pinch of smoked paprika to the cooking liquid.