Carnitas are something that I have started to make often. It uses a cheap cut of meat, there are several ways to cook it, and it delivers a lot of flavor. For this recipe I smoked a pork shoulder (I actually used country style ribs because they are the same cut of meat just already portioned). The braising liquid was simple but flavorful. I used a Mexican beer and some orange juice, with onions, garlic and fresh fruit. This was a simple recipe that was essentially set it on the smoker rotate the meat in 3 hours and let cook another 2 hours until fall apart tender.

I made a pepper slaw to be used as a side dish as well as the toppings for the tacos. A variety of toppings work well with these tacos or just eat them without additions because the meat is packed with flavor.

Serves 4-6 people depending on the amount of meat you use.

Smoked Carnitas with Pepper Slaw

Pepper Slaw

Ingredients:

2 Bell Peppers (sliced)
1 Poblano (sliced)
1 Red Onion (sliced)
1 Jalapeno (halved then thinly sliced)
1t Coriander (Freshly ground)
1t Kosher Salt
3T Sour Cream
1/4C Fresh Cilantro (chopped)
1 Lemon (juiced)

Directions:

In medium bowl combine sliced peppers and onions.
In separate small bowl combine sour cream, lemon juice, salt, coriander, and cilantro. Stir to combine.
Add sour cream mixture to peppers and onions and stir until full coated. Adjust seasoning with fresh black pepper and salt.

This will last for 2-3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

Carnitas Rub

Ingredients:

1/2C Brown Sugar
1/4C Cumin
2T Coriander
2T Tajin (Clasico Seasoning)
2T Salt
1T Ancho Powder
1T Chipotle Powder
1T Black Pepper
1T Dried Oregano
1T Chili de Arbol Powder

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine, the brown sugar can clump up so use a fork to evenly mix.
Add to a shaker or old spice container to make applying easier.

This will make more than is needed, but I like to have most of these rubs made and set aside for the next time I make the dish. I use old spice containers for storage and label.

Smoked Carnitas

Ingedients:

3lbs Pork Shoulder (or country style ribs)
Carnitas Rub (above)
1 Yellow or White Onion (chopped)
1C Orange Juice
1 Orange
1 Lime
1 Lemon
1 Head of Garlic (peeled and smashed)
1 Mexican Beer (I used Dos Equis Ambar Especial, but any lager or amber beer will work)
Tortillas
Pepper Slaw
2T Peanut Oil

Directions:

Start smoker and set it to 275. In a disposable roasting pan fully coat the pork with the carnitas rub. Add in the fruit, garlic, and onions.
When smoker is ready place pan with seasoned meat on the grill and add in 1 cup of orange juice and top off the rest of the pan with the beer. You will want to make sure the meat is at least 3/4 covered.
Smoke meat for 3 hrs then rotate meat in pan. Continue smoking for 2 more hours or until the meat is fall apart tender.
Remove pan from smoker once cooked and transfer meat to new pan. Allow meat to rest for at least 30 minutes.
Gently break up meat leaving larger chunks, pour in some of the cooking liquid and allow meat to continue to rest.
When it is time to make the tacos heat up the peanut oil in a sauté pan. Using tongs take a portion of the meat intended and fry the meat for 1-2 minutes or just until a nice crust forms on the edges. Add to tortillas and top with slaw.

The last step isn’t completely necessary but it does add a nice layer of flavor. I am including a few pictures of how the meat looked on the smoker and how the meat looked before frying.