Easy Delicious Carnitas

Disappointed when you get carnitas at your local Mexican-ish joint? We were too – we really hated getting somewhat dry, somewhat flavor-less pulled pork that a lot of places pawned off as carntias.  With this recipe, we can show you how to do a much better version, that’s simple, takes very little prep time, and will always be amazing for an at-home Mexican meal.   And great for parties.

If you’ve ever traveled to Mexico, or gone to a truly authentic Mexican restaurant, you’ll know that carnitas are made in a method somewhat similar to French confit; pork is braised in lard and then deep-fried in more lard for a texture that’s remarkably juicy and tender without sacrificing crisp edges. This takes a lot of work, and having all that lard hanging around is just not very appealing.  We worked with a number of different recipes, went through a lot of pork (our friends and neighbors were thankful for even the not-so-perfect versions), and came up with a recipe that came oh-so-close to the authentic version.

As a bonus, we’re giving up our famous pickled onion recipe.  Actually, it’s pretty easy, and not so secret.

And notice that there is our wonderful Mexican Street Corn on the plate – check out the recipe HERE.

Easy Delicious Carnitas

We love pickled onions! They will keep, refrigerated, for a few weeks and they don't have the "bite" of raw onions. And they look pretty.

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Course Main Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients

  

• 8 ounces extra firm tofu It is important to use extra firm
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil We use grapeseed oil
• 2 scallion Sliced, on a bias
• 1/2 medium Sweet onion Julienne sliced
• 3 cups Vegetables We used snow peas, shredded carrots, and broccolini
• 1 bottle Serious Foodie Tamarillo Grill Sauce Go to shop.serious-foodie.devsquad.tech to order
• Salt and Pepper To taste

Instructions

 

• Pat dry both sides of the steak.  Liberally season the steak with the Serious Foodie Seattle Espresso Rub.  Wrap the seasoned flank steak tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Sthe sauce over medium heat until it is reduced by one half. Add the mustard, rosemary, . Cook on low heat until the sauce is thick.
• Remove the steak from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking; pre-heat a gas or charcoal grill.
• To make the sauce: add the olive oil to a sauce pan, and heat over medium. Add the minced garlic, and saute until fragrant, about 60 to 90 seconds. Immediately add the wine and soy sauce, and reduce by 1/2 (about 5 minutes). Stir in the Dijon mustard, rosemary, brown sugar, and optional cayenne pepper. Simmer until desired thickness is achieved.
• Place the steak on the grill, and cook to desired doneness - about 6 minutes per side for rare. It's best not to over-cook flank steak.
• Transfer the steak to a plate, and let stand for 5 minutes before carving. Cut the steak across the grain, and serve with the sauce and the optional arugula fennel salad - see https://serious-foodie.devsquad.tech/versatile-vinaigrettes/

Notes

Some people have asked "what about the bright red color we see from tandoori chicken at our local restaurant?"  The red color comes from food coloring.  If you want red color, we suggest using annatto paste, which can be found in most Latin American grocery stores.  One teaspoon added to the yogurt marinade works just fine.

This same marinade works well with lamb, or a meaty fish such as swordfish.

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