Salsa Verde Carnitas

Cooking Time: 20-25    Servings: 6

Products needed:

Traditional 18 Year Balsamic Vinegar

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 lb pork butt (pork shoulder)
  • 2 c salsa verde, bottled, canned, or homemade
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teas dried)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • Salt
  • 12 to 16 corn tortillas, heated and softened
  • 1/4 head of cabbage, very thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar (if you only have unseasoned, add 1/4 teaspoon of sugar to it)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • 1/2 cup crumbled Cotija Mexican farmer's cheese, or some grated Monterey Jack cheese
  • Crema fresca, crema Mexican, or sour cream
  • Chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions:

  1. Trim the excess fat from the pork shoulder roast.
  2. Put the roast, the salsa verde, onion, chicken stock stock, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and oregano in a large, thick-bottomed pot, and heat on high heat.
  3. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a low simmer.
  4. Cover and simmer until meat pulls away easily with a fork, about 3 hours.
  5. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  6. Remove meat from liquid in pot and put the meat into a roasting pan.
  7. With 2 forks, tear the meat into large shreds, spreading them out in an even layer in the roasting pan.
  8. Roast meat for 15 to 20 minutes until parts are brown and crispy.
  9. While the meat is roasting, skim and discard fat from the liquid in the large pot.
  10. Heat the pot on high and vigorously boil the remaining liquid, stirring, until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, 8 to 10 minutes.
  11. Return the meat to the pot with the liquid.
  12. Stir in chopped cilantro.
  13. Season with salt.
  14. Serve with heated and softened corn tortillas (20 seconds each in the microwave spread out over a paper towel will heat and softened packaged tortillas sufficiently), diced avocado, crumbed Cotija or grated Monterey jack cheese, sour cream (or crema fresca), and seasoned cabbage slaw.

Seasoned Cabbage Slaw

  1. Place thinly sliced cabbage in a medium sized bowl.
  2. Sprinkle on olive oil, seasoned rice vinegar, salt and pepper.
  3. You can substitute white vinegar or apple cider vinegar for the rice vinegar, if you do, sprinkle on some sugar to help balance the acidity of the vinegar.
  4. Toss.
  5. Adjust seasonings. 
  6. Let sit for 10 minutes for the cabbage to absorb some of the dressing.
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