Carnitas

ByKen Cechura

May 23, 2023
Category, ,

Found this one on facebook, and modified it slightly... instead of the taco seasoning, they called out Safritas, which I cannot find at a typical grocery store in iowa. Additionally, the chicken varient was my own twist. Once the chicken was done, i started dicing it to better season while cooking - and it did have some bite! I might recommend leaving it as one large piece of meat while cooking, and not breaking the meat up until completion of cooking for those not quite into "spicier" foods. I did the tacos individually in a cast iron skillet, but i suspect it would be a lot easier to do large batches on a flat iron grill...

Basic Ingredients
 1 small can chopped green chilies (Prefer old El Paso)
 1 Small can Chipotle Chilies & Sauce
 1 Large White onion, diced or cut into small slivers
 0.25 cup minced garlic (to taste)
 0.50 packet Old El Paso original taco seasoning mix
 handful of cilantro
 1 package corn tortillas
 0.50 lb white american cheese
 3 bay leaves
If using Chicken:
 32 fl oz Chicken Stock
 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
If using Pork or Beef:
 2 small pork loins or a larger cut of lean pork
 32 fl oz beef stock
Meat Prep
1

put liner in crockpot

2

place meat in crockpot, then add chilies, garlic, cilantro, bay leaves, taco seasoning mix, onion, and broth.

3

set crock pot to low, and let cook for 6 - 8 hours

4

when done cooking, pull the meat out of the pot, and set aside. I prefer (at this point) to remove the chipotle chilies and throw them out, but you may shred them along with the meat.

5

shred the meat and set aside

Taco assembly
6

preheat a pan on medium on the stove (I prefer cast iron)

7

one one side of the pan, place a pinch of the meat (~1/4 cup)

8

while the shredded meat is cooking down, dip a corn tortilla in the juice, and put in the pan.

Note: I use cast iron, rather than :"non-stick" teflon or others. a tsp of oil may be necessary under the tortilla to ensure it doesn't melt/stick to the pan

9

place a slice of white american cheese on the tortilla, move the meat onto the cheese and tortilla, and fold over with a spatula

10

allow taco to cook while cheese melts and tortilla slightly browns, then flip and allow the other side to brown slightly

11

Remove the taco from the pan, and repeat for the desired number of tacos. Serve with soy-garlic crema or sour cream, and beans and/or rice.

Ingredients

Basic Ingredients
 1 small can chopped green chilies (Prefer old El Paso)
 1 Small can Chipotle Chilies & Sauce
 1 Large White onion, diced or cut into small slivers
 0.25 cup minced garlic (to taste)
 0.50 packet Old El Paso original taco seasoning mix
 handful of cilantro
 1 package corn tortillas
 0.50 lb white american cheese
 3 bay leaves
If using Chicken:
 32 fl oz Chicken Stock
 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
If using Pork or Beef:
 2 small pork loins or a larger cut of lean pork
 32 fl oz beef stock

Directions

Meat Prep
1

put liner in crockpot

2

place meat in crockpot, then add chilies, garlic, cilantro, bay leaves, taco seasoning mix, onion, and broth.

3

set crock pot to low, and let cook for 6 - 8 hours

4

when done cooking, pull the meat out of the pot, and set aside. I prefer (at this point) to remove the chipotle chilies and throw them out, but you may shred them along with the meat.

5

shred the meat and set aside

Taco assembly
6

preheat a pan on medium on the stove (I prefer cast iron)

7

one one side of the pan, place a pinch of the meat (~1/4 cup)

8

while the shredded meat is cooking down, dip a corn tortilla in the juice, and put in the pan.

Note: I use cast iron, rather than :"non-stick" teflon or others. a tsp of oil may be necessary under the tortilla to ensure it doesn't melt/stick to the pan

9

place a slice of white american cheese on the tortilla, move the meat onto the cheese and tortilla, and fold over with a spatula

10

allow taco to cook while cheese melts and tortilla slightly browns, then flip and allow the other side to brown slightly

11

Remove the taco from the pan, and repeat for the desired number of tacos. Serve with soy-garlic crema or sour cream, and beans and/or rice.

Notes

Carnitas

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