The Bluster and the Burrow
Carnitas Street Tacos
Pork shoulder is gently braised until spoon-tender in Mexican Coke and garlic, then crisped in its own juices for golden, irresistible edges. The result is rich but balanced carnitas with deep flavor, perfect for unfussy street tacos that feel quietly special.
Print Recipe
Equipment
- Dutch Oven optional
Ingredients
Carnitas
- 4 lb boneless pork shoulder
- 12 oz Mexican Coca Cola
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 7 fermented garlic cloves
Diced Onions
- 1 white onion diced
- 3 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
- 4 tomatillos cut into quarters
- 1 Serrano pepper rough chop
- 3 garlic cloves fermented
- ½ cup onion diced
- 1 cup cilantro rough chop
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 avocado
Assemble the Tacos
- 1/4 cup carnitas meat
- 1 tortillas
- 2 tablespoons tomatillo salsa
- 2 tablespoons diced onions
Instructions
Cook the Carnitas Meat
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut the pork shoulder into 2 inch cubes, season with salt and pepper on both sides, and place in a single layer in a baking pan or Dutch oven.
- Drop in whole garlic cloves around the pork then pour in the Mexican Coca Cola.
- Go up to the top of the pork with the coke without going over. If you need more liqud to come up to the top of the pork, add water
- Cover with a double layer of foil or Dutch oven lid and bake in the middle rack for 2 ½ -3 hours
- Once the meat has braised, we crisp it up. If you use a dutch oven, place it on a burner of medium heat. If you use a baking pan, preheat a skillet to medium heat. Break the chunks of meat a bit with tongs.
- Add ½ cup of braising liquid to the skillet, it will sizzle so be careful. Add carnitas meat and let it cook for about 5 minutes until the liquid reduces down and crisps the edges of the meat a bit
Make the Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
- Place 4 tomatillos, 1 Serrano pepper, 3 garlic cloves, ½ cup diced onion, 1 cup cilantro, and 1 ½ teaspoons salt into a blender or food processor.
- Blend for 2 minutes until liquified.
- Cut 1 avocado in half and scoop into the blender or food processor.
- Blend for one minute more to allow the avocado to incorporate into the sauce.
- Scrape down the sides if needed.
- Taste and check to see if it needs more salt.
- Pour into a dish or squeeze bottle and serve.
Make the Diced Onions
- Dice one white onion for 1 cup of onions and place in a bowl
- Chop cilantro and add it
- Add salt and lime juice
- Stir and serve
Assembling the Tacos
- Heat a tortilla on a dry skillet
- Place 2-3 tongs of carnitas meat onto the tortilla
- Add diced onions and tomatillo avocado salsa
- Serve with sliced limes on the side
Notes
- Don’t rush the braise. The low, covered oven time is what breaks down the connective tissue. If the pork isn’t fork-tender, it’s not ready—give it more time.
- Resist the urge to drain everything. The braising liquid is liquid gold. You don’t want the meat swimming, but you do want enough to reduce and glaze the pork when crisping.
- Crisp in batches if needed. Overcrowding the pan traps steam and prevents browning. Give the pork space to sizzle.
- Use two tortillas if you’re serving guests. Street tacos are small for a reason, and doubling up keeps them from falling apart once the meat and salsa go on.
Storage & Reheating
- Store leftover carnitas in an airtight container with some of the braising liquid for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in a skillet, not the microwave. Add a splash of the reserved liquid, let it bubble, then allow it to reduce so the meat heats through and re-crisps at the edges.
- Carnitas also freeze well—freeze with a little liquid, thaw overnight, and reheat the same way.
Nutrition
Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 705mg | Potassium: 740mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg
