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:
- Trim the excess fat from the pork shoulder roast.
- 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.
- Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a low simmer.
- Cover and simmer until meat pulls away easily with a fork, about 3 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Remove meat from liquid in pot and put the meat into a roasting pan.
- With 2 forks, tear the meat into large shreds, spreading them out in an even layer in the roasting pan.
- Roast meat for 15 to 20 minutes until parts are brown and crispy.
- While the meat is roasting, skim and discard fat from the liquid in the large pot.
- Heat the pot on high and vigorously boil the remaining liquid, stirring, until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Return the meat to the pot with the liquid.
- Stir in chopped cilantro.
- Season with salt.
- 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
- Place thinly sliced cabbage in a medium sized bowl.
- Sprinkle on olive oil, seasoned rice vinegar, salt and pepper.
- 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.
- Toss.
- Adjust seasonings.
- Let sit for 10 minutes for the cabbage to absorb some of the dressing.