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Mexican: Carnitas I

Source of Recipe


From "A Cook's Tour of Mexico" by Nancy Zaslavsky



List of Ingredients



• 3 to 4 cups lard (or enough, when melted, to cover the meat)
  
• 2½ pounds pork shoulder, cut into 3 to 4 chunks
  
• 2 racks pork ribs, each cut into 2-rib pieces (or 2 pounds country-style ribs)
  
• Zest from 2 oranges
  
• Salt, to taste
  
• 1 red onion, sliced
  
• 1 bunch cilantro, washed, dried, and left whole
  
• .
  
• Hot flour tortillas, for serving
  






Instructions



1. Heat lard in large, very deep pot. When fat begins to simmer, add pork shoulder and ribs and orange zest. Bring lard back to strong simmer with constant small bubbles, over medium heat. This step is to cook the meat, not to brown it. Continue cooking at this temperature for 1 hour, checking often to be sure the lard is not boiling.
   
   
2. After one hour, raise heat and boil for another 20 to 30 minutes. When meats are brown, remove them from fat. Drain on layers of brown bags, opened flat, covered with paper towels.
   
   
3. Separate pork into smaller chunks, if you wish. Sprinkle with salt while meat is hot. Serve on a huge platter, passing bowls of red onion slices and cilantro sprigs for make-your-own soft tacos in flour tortillas.
   
   Makes 10 servings.